Indecent Proposals
by ohwhatsherface
Summary: Anthology. SasuSaku. Because Sasuke Uchiha is always in a league of his own.
1. An Indecent Proposal

**INDECENT PROPOSALS**

Sakura couldn't find it in her to pull out the kunai lodged in her thigh, although her instincts as a medic-nin were screaming at her that _oh, my god_, holy shit, Sasuke hit a bloody _artery_ and she just might bleed to death.

She glanced at Sasuke, who was looking at the floor nervously with red cheeks, and then back to her thigh.

Her bloody thigh.

Her bloody thigh with a kunai sticking out of it.

Her bloody thigh with a kunai sticking out of it that had a_ ring tied to the freaking weapon_.

"Hn."

Despite the monosyllabic… _grunt_, Sakura knew it meant an entire sentence that went along the lines of: 'You're an idiot. You were supposed to dodge that, not let yourself get stabbed. Now you might bleed to death because you're too busy acting shocked and I'm as nervous as hell so I won't be able to help you out, and then we won't get married because you died, and then my clan won't get restored because we both know you're only girl I'd be able to spend the rest of my life with even if you are so damn annoying. You're annoying me now, actually.'

Sakura blinked. 

"Oh, right."

Ignoring the mild pain, she removed the kunai and brushed one palm over the wound to heal herself. She fell to her knees out of the blood loss and continued staring at the weapon. And what was dangling off of it.

"Is… Is that what I think it is?"

She poked the ring just to be sure.

"Aa."

Sakura chuckled light-headedly (because hey, she needed some blood here) and smiled at Sasuke.

"And you were trying to be romantic in your Sasuke kind of way by proposing to me while we were sparring?" Sakura inquired.

Sasuke nodded.

"But I got distracted when I noticed the ring on the kunai you threw at me so I forgot to dodge…" She sighed and rubbed her forehead. After a small moment of silence, she snapped at him. "Well would it kill you to put the ring on me at least?!" Sakura pouted childishly before answering her own question. "No, it _wouldn't_, you bastard!"

She paused.

"It would kill _me_!"

"Hn." That one meant something like "Well it's not my fault you were too distracted to remember that a kunai just so happens to be deadly and _sharp_ you annoying woman."

Nevertheless, Sasuke gracefully dropped down into a squatting position and took Sakura's left hand and the ring that was dangling between the fingers in her right one. He slipped it on her and then got back up wordlessly. He turned away (because, Sakura concluded positively, he was blushing!).

"Hn," he said, translating to "Get up, we're not done sparring."

Sakura felt her lips twitch up into a smile. Slowly, (after he turned back to her, which happened after he fought off his evil, cursed blush) with Sasuke's help, Sakura got back up and onto her feet, completely leaning against him for support.

"Yes."

She kissed him on the cheek and felt too tired to take her lips off of him.

"I'll marry you."


	2. It's Real

**2. It's Real**

* * *

"I am _so_ sorry, Sasuke-kun!"

"It's fine."

Sakura bit her lip nervously and clenched her fists tighter, crumpling the folds of her white skirt. She smiled at him weakly, offering some more tissue to him to help him wipe up the damage.

He looked back at her dryly.

On the inside, she let out an exasperated sigh. It wasn't _her_ fault exactly…

"I…"

When she noticed how much blood covered the handkerchief she had given to him a few minutes ago was, she couldn't help but wince. Frowning deeply, she took a couple of sheets of tissue in one hand and removed the bloodied cloth from his broken nose. Gently, she pressed the cleaner pieces of cloth to the bloody appendage. Sasuke then ripped away from the comfort of her touch and held the tissues to his face on his own.

Sakura glanced at his hand and cringed at the sight of his blood on it—

"Eh, Sasuke-kun… I'm sorry I broke your nose…"

—and then look at his other hand. And what he held in it.

She couldn't help but frown at him in confusion.

"Did you mean it?" she asked quietly, almost in a whisper.

"Aa."

He had proposed. Sasuke Uchiha had proposed to Sakura Haruno. Sasuke Uchiha had proposed to Sakura Haruno and she had just broken his nose, which, in her defense, she did with good reason.

"I'm sorry I broke your nose," she repeated sadly. "I thought you were Naruto."

He glared at her and Sakura almost moved back.

Her frown deepened and she blushed slightly as a certain memory came to mind. "When we were genin, it was on our first day, that time when he tied you up, Naruto pretended to be you—" the shade of red on her face grew darker, "—and well… He, um, tried to kiss me." Sasuke's glare darkened and Sakura let out a pathetic sigh. "So no offence, but whenever you do some kind of romantic gesture, I get kind of doubtful, and well, not think it's you."

"Hn."

"Which is why I broke your nose—"

The words stopped in her mouth when they had nowhere to exit because _oh my god Sasuke was kissing her_.

He pulled back with a smirk on his lips.

"So I'm guessing you're gonna castrate me now for that one."


	3. Wait 'Til We're Nineteen

**3. Wait 'Til We're Nineteen  
_featuring: High!Sasuke_**

* * *

Never in her life did thirteen-year-old Sakura Haruno think she'd ever want to kill Sasuke Uchiha, but by god, he was _annoying_.

She glanced to the side where Sasuke stood dazedly, _trying to catch an imaginary butterfly_. Sakura looked at Naruto, hoping he'd try to take care of Sasuke but the idiot was fast asleep (which was somewhat shocking considering how Sakura thought Naruto would want to capture each and every moment Sasuke spent acting like a fool).

"Sasuke-kun, sit down," she ordered sternly.

Said boy gave her a flirtatious grin. If she hadn't been feeling so cranky and tired, she probably would have swooned and her knees might have buckled, but considering her current frustration, she could only stare back at him crankily.

"Sasuke-kun, _sit down_."

He did so, dropping down to the grassy floor with a loud thump. "Only for _you_ darling!" he drawled.

"Oh, for the love of god," she muttered, pulling at her hair exasperatedly.

She _hated_ this un-Sasuke-like behavior. The three of them had been attacked on their way home from a _stupid_ escort mission. Sakura shuddered, remembering the feeling of their charge groping her. The action had caused a bit of an uproar between them. But yes, they had been attacked and in the middle of totally kicking some stupid asshole's butt, another enemy-nin took advantage of Sakura's blind spot and decided to lunge at her with his holy crap, sharp sword.

He would have hit her had she not been blocked by Sasuke, who, graciously enough, chose to use his body to shield her.

After the Naruto clones got rid of the fair majority of their enemies or whatever, they decided to find a safe spot so Sakura could take care of the wounds (because even though she wasn't some special medic nin _at the moment_, she was still capable of fixing those kinds of wounds _much_ better than her teammates). When she noticed the pain that he was in due to the poison on the blade, she shoved some painkillers down his throat as he refused to take them willingly.

Which led to her current predicament.

In retrospect, Sakura might have given him too many.

"You know, Sakura-chan—"

Her eyes widened and then immediately narrowed.

"Sakura-chan?" she repeated curtly.

Sasuke nodded and crawled closer to her, which made her somewhat nervous because she couldn't help but notice how erotic looking that was.

"Yes, _Sakura-chan_." He lay on his side, one arm holding his head up while he smiled devilishly at her. "You know, one day, I'm gonna kill my brother." He sounded so smug, arrogant and sexy all at the same time that Sakura wasn't sure if she wanted to slap him or jump him.

"Uh huh, that's nice," she replied, looking at her nails.

"And _then_," Sasuke drawled (because he was high of course, since everyone knew that normal Sasuke barely spoke and when he did, he never dragged them on). "I was thinking I'd restore my clan."

"Uh huh, that's nice."

Hm, red nail polish, or green nail polish—

Sasuke grabbed her hand and began _petting_ it, internally wondering how the heck it was so smooth. "And well, you know, to restore my clan, I'm gonna need a wife."

She pulled her hand away looking rather offended. "Uh huh, that's nice—" She met Sasuke's eyes and saw him grinning down at her smugly. "A—Are you… I… _WHAT_?!"

Sasuke chuckled and put an arm over her shoulder, causing her to freeze.

Sakura immediately jumped away and got up on her feet. "You're propositioning to me to be your baby-maker slash wife when we are _thirteen_?!" She shook her head furiously while pacing. "N—No! _I_ am thirteen." An accusing finger was pointed at him. "You're still _twelve_!"

He waved a hand. "Eh, who cares? I don't usually like older women but in your case I'll make an exception." The urge to kick him in the face was rather tempting. "So…" Sasuke looked up at her. "Will you do me the honors of becoming the future Uchiha matriarch or what?"

"_EXCUSE ME_?!"

Sasuke scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Well not _now_, of course. I mean I'm sure you're more than ready—" She blushed terribly, "—but I still need to kill my brother and all, first. We should get rid of that stupid snake guy too…" He began counting with his fingers. "Hm, that will probably take about three to four years, including having to leave and look for the stupid bastard…"

He nodded wisely.

"So we'll get married when we're about seventeen."

Her jaw dropped and she began to shake her head wildly.

"But—"

"Oh…" He stopped to think over his words again. "Right, I'm sure you're gonna want me to court you or date you or whatever, hm, so that'll take about another darn year." Sasuke sighed, muttering something about how well darn, he guessed the clan would have to wait, and then continued. "And I'm sure I'll have to suck up to your parents for a short while…"

Sasuke nodded again.

"Alright, nineteen it is."

He yawned and made a show, stretching his arms and throwing his head back.

"Well, now that all of that is settled, I'm gonna go to bed."

He shot Sakura one more knee-buckling grin.

"Good night, babe."

Watching him fall asleep instantly, Sakura sat back down beside him, taking one more look at his back. Seeing no infections, she took the moment to really look at him. She let a small, contented sigh.

Sakura brushed some hair away from his eyes.

She smiled gently.

"Nineteen it is."

* * *

**Edited: **August 5, 2012 – LOL reading this made me facepalm. Nineteen? _Nineteen_?


	4. You Got Fat

**4. You Got Fat  
**for Animelove101

* * *

Sasuke gaped at Sakura.

Sakura frowned back at him.

Or well, he wasn't quite staring at Sakura, but more so the large belly she seemed to have gained over the eight months he spent away on a mission with many members of ANBU, both from Konoha and other villages, trying to find the remaining members of Akatsuki (since they all came to an agreement that those ugly-cloak wearing bastards needed to be eliminated).

He was speechless.

Which really, wasn't anything new, but _holy crap when did Sakura get so fat_?!

"You…" His face turned impassive. "You seemed to have gained weight."

Her eyes widened and her cheeks reddened slightly. Since it was rather unhealthy for women like to hold in their stress, anger and frustration, Sakura decided to let it all out. "You bastard!" she screamed, socking him in the jaw. "I am not _fat_." Sakura shook with anger. "I'm _pregnant_!" She punched him in the gut. "And it's all your fault!"

He grabbed the fist that he saw coming at him, deciding that Sakura got to hit him enough. She made to use the other hand but he caught it as well. As he held both of her hands in his own, Sasuke glanced down at the stomach he knew could only belong to a woman who was with child.

"When are you due?" he asked. Sasuke had no doubt the tiny ever growing thing that was inside of her was his.

Because… she was Sakura.

And he was Sasuke.

And that was all there was to it.

Sakura sighed tiredly and shifted the weight from one foot to the other to roll her sore ankles. "Um, in a couple of weeks."

"I see." Sasuke nodded wisely. "We are getting married."

She blinked repeatedly and resisted the urge to punch him again for being so bossy about _everything_. Sakura narrowed her eyes dangerously. "I am _not_ getting married like _this_," she hissed, pointing to her stomach. "I'm still _pregnant_. In case you haven't noticed, which I know you did since you stated your observations ever so bluntly. I am _fat_!" She slapped him for effect.

He rubbed his sore cheek and regained his cool, calm and collected composure.

"You couldn't even wait until our honeymoon!" Sakura continued angrily. "You couldn't even wait until we were _married_!"

"So?"

She shook her head furiously. "You couldn't even wait until we started _dating_!" Sakura would have hit him but she already knew he would catch her hand before she could make contact. Sighing, she sat down on her bed. He had come to visit her once he returned from his mission only to be greeted with one hell of a surprise. She let out a fatigued breath. "So now what?" she asked, almost in a whisper.

Sasuke scoffed, sounding rather offended. "I said we get married."

"Well I said no!" she spat back, equally angry.

"Why not?!" he snapped.

"Because I'm _fat_!"

He rolled his eyes before yelling, "You're pregnant!"

"I'm _still_ fat!"

"You look _fine_!"

She crossed her arms stubbornly. "Well I don't want to marry you because I'm pregnant! No!" Sakura shook her head stubbornly. "I don't want to marry you _at all_ Sasuke Uchiha you asshole!"

(Which was a total lie but…)

"Besides…" Sakura raised an eyebrow at him, looking at Sasuke questioningly. "Why _do_ you want to get married…?"

"Because we're having a kid," he muttered back.

"Is that all?" she asked, sounding like she were scolding him.

He made no reply.

"_Is that all_?" repeated Sakura.

"Well…" Sasuke looked away. "I _guess_ I like you."

She glared.

"_Care about you_."

"Hm… Well when you put it like that…"

Her frown turned into a smile (because she was pregnant and moods came as they pleased).

"Okay!"


	5. Like The Pirates Do

**5. Like The Pirates Do  
**

* * *

Thump.

"Seventeen."

Sakura was naturally a kind, caring and loving person who's heart was too big that it blocked the word 'hate' from getting to that brain of hers.

But holy crap she _despised_ Orochimaru.

And Sound.

_Definitely_ Sound (since she was still a bit bitter about the whole chuunin exam issues even though they _were_ about ten years ago)…

Sakura couldn't help but smirk triumphantly when she kicked one, causing him to fly backwards into about another four, knocking them out too.

BANG!

"Twenty-two!"

Her smirk faded when she took in the sight of smoke coming from Konoha. Her green eyes narrowed dangerously and she ran towards another group of shinobi to add to the mental list she was making of how many asses she managed to kick during Orochimaru's invasion.

Bam.

"Twenty-nine."

She glanced at who was behind her, standing next to her back-to-back as fourteen, no, sixteen Sound nin (how the _hell_ did Orochimaru gain so many freaking minions?) began to gather towards them in a circle.

Sakura broke a jaw but accidentally broke someone's neck in the process.

"I've got thirty," she announced. "What about you, Sasuke-kun?"

"Thirty-one," he muttered.

"Well you'll both be reduced to _zero_ when we're through with you!" one of the Sound shinobi thundered, cackling maniacally.

Sakura frowned at him. "That was kind of lame."

They moved backwards, ending up so close together their backs were brushing when they saw more and more nin coming towards them.

"Sakura."

Oh, battle plans already? Sakura was somewhat surprised since she hadn't even thought up how to get rid of her share of enemies and Sasuke already did. No offence to him, but Sakura knew her analytical abilities were better—

"Will you marry me?"

She almost dropped her axe (which may have been a good thing because who knew, maybe the giant lugging piece of metal would make an earthquake and help them out a bit although really, they probably didn't need any). Sakura peeked at him from the corner of her eye and saw a very serious expression on his face.

"I—I…" She swallowed. "Sasuke-kun, I hardly think now is the best time!" She swung her axe over her head when she saw people approaching her (because yeah, she could hit them with her fists, but the axe was more fun to use) and looked at him again.

Whoosh.

"Now may be the only time," he replied coolly, cutting someone's head off.

"W—What?!" Sakura shook her head furiously. "What happened to your ever confident, egotistical, arrogant normal self, Sasuke-kun?!" She smiled reassuringly, nodding her head. "You'll totally kick all their asses—"

"I love you."

She raised her hands to cover her open, gaping mouth.

This time she did drop her axe.

And her guard.

And some asshole from Sound decided to take advantage of that but Sasuke stabbed him as he approached Sakura, ridding them of one of his troubles and silently saying thirty-six.

"Y—You…" Sakura stared at him with a small grin. "You do?"

"I do," he replied. "I've made my choice, now tell me, what's yours?"

"I…" She turned away and looked around the battlefield. The Hokage was always around fighting on the front lines (probably waiting for Orochimaru to finally get into the battle so she could get rid of him once and for all) kicking ass and healing. "Tsunade-shishou!"

A flying body in Sakura's direction showed she had the Hokage's attention.

"Marry us!"

Tsunade flipped back some distance and landed somewhat near them. "I'm a _bit_ busy now Sakura!"

"Oh…" Sakura had the gall to look disappointed. She rid herself of the inner rage by kicking another ninja into a group of them. "Um," she began, looking back at Sasuke. "We'll do it when this is all over—"

"WAIT!"

The newly engaged pair looked to the direction at which that loud, booming voice came from and saw Naruto.

"I'm Rokudaime—"

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "You are _not_ Rokudaime!"

"—therefore _I_ can marry you!" Naruto concluded.

"Then do it, dobe."

Naruto's triumphant grin twisted into a snarl as he glared at Sasuke. "That's dobe-_sama_ to you, Sasuke-teme!" He waved the matter off, at the same time throwing a kunai into someone's face. "Do you Sakura-chan take that bastard to be your husband?"

Punch.

Flip.

Bam.

"I do!"

Naruto dodged some shuriken in flames that were coming at him. "And do you, Sasuke-teme take Sakura-chan to be your wife?"

Swish.

Kick.

Stab.

"I do."

"Ow!" Naruto yelled as a kunai stabbed him in the arm when let his guard down for the moment to take in the joyous moment. "Well I now pronounce you two husband and wife!" he cheered. "You may now kiss the bride!"

And he did.

* * *

**Who _didn't_ love this scene in POTC3?**


	6. Blame The Brat

For graviola

Because I am queen

Enjoy!

**6. Blame The Brat**

**&**

"Sakura-neechan, come play dress up with me!"

Sakura smiled down tiredly at the four-year-old who was pulling her skirt rather hard.

"Good idea, Akane-chan," she replied patting the girl on her lilac-haired head.

The child grinned back at Sakura, her brown eyes dazzling. Akane Hatake turned to Sasuke. "Sasuke-niisan!" she called loudly. Her voice was strong and rather attention grabbing, much like her mother's. "Sasuke-niisan, you have to play with us too!"

Sasuke spared her a glance because she, like her father, was like family.

"Ask Naruto."

"But Sasuke-niisan!" Akane whined loudly. "I want _you_ to play with me and Sakura-neechan!"

He sighed and got up from the seat he was on, going to where Sakura was waiting for Akane in the Hatake-Mitarashi household.

Sakura looked Sasuke skeptically when he sat down on one of the small seats that were a part of Akane's tea table set. He merely replied to her questioning look with one of his own that said something along the lines of 'this child's mother is a psycho. I'd rather play with her than have to listen to her mom bitch at me endlessly'.

"I see."

She returned her gaze to Akane.

"So Akane-chan, what would you like to play?" Sakura asked sweetly.

"Dress up!" she announced, tossing Sakura a white dress that was her mother's at one point, and to Sasuke, a black jacket. "Sakura-neechan, we're going to play _wedding_!"

"No."

Sasuke handed back the jacket to her and scowled with as much dignity a nineteen-year-old sitting on stubby, pink chair could.

Akane gasped loudly. Her lower lip began to quiver and her hands remained at her sides, clenched.

Crap.

She was going to cry.

And if Kakashi and Anko heard he made their baby cry while he was supposed to be babysitting Akane with Sakura and Naruto (although Naruto was no help considering he was off somewhere eating their food), he knew he would never hear the end of it.

"I was kidding Akane," he said coolly, taking the jacket back and putting it on. "I'll play."

Her face lost its redness and she broke up into a large smile.

"Wow, really? Thanks a lot Sasuke-niisan!"

The smile turned…

Evil.

Like _Anko's…_

Great.

"Well now you can wear the bunny suit." 

Sasuke stared dryly at the fuzzy green suit she was trying to give him that somehow she made Kakashi wear on occasion (since the man had a soft spot for his little girl).

"I am not wearing the bunny suit."

She sighed. "Then can you please wear the bunny _ears_ Sasuke-niisan?"

Sakura nudged him and pouted at him childishly. "Yeah, can't you wear the bunny ears? _Please_ Sasuke-kun?"

Frown.

Scowl.

"Fine."

Akane clapped and then pointed to the two braids that Sakura had done for her earlier in the day. "Okay, I'm going to be Tsunade-baachan, Sakura-neechan will be the bride, and Sasuke-niisan can be the groom," she decided, smiling with the innocence that only a child could have. "Isn't that _such_ a good idea?!"

"It's a _great_ idea," Sakura told the little girl enthusiastically because really, although she'd never admit it, it _was_ a great idea (to Sakura).

Not Sasuke.

"Yeah, great…"

Akane cleared her throat and played around with her voice, trying to make is sound deeper.

"We are gathered here today," she grumbled cutely. "For the wedding of Sakura-neechan and Sasuke-niisan because my Otousan says that they love each other very, very much."

"Akane," Sasuke interrupted in a low voice.

"Yes, Sasuke-niisan?" Akane answered, back to her normal voice.

"Has anyone ever told you that your father is an idiot?"

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura hissed.

Akane nodded. "Yes, Sasuke-niisan, my Okaasan told me this morning and yesterday and the day before that!" She cleared her throat. "Now, Sakura-neechan, do you take Sasuke-niisan to be your husband? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, to cook breakfast and lunch and dinner and tomato soup for because Naruto-niisan says Sasuke-niisan likes tomato soup a lot?"

Sakura felt herself blushing even though _this wasn't a real wedding_.

"Er… I do."

She glanced at Sasuke and felt her embarrassment being quickly replaced with amusement as she noticed the flush on Sasuke's face to be ten times worse than hers and _he was wearing bunny ears_.

Gosh.

Sakura never really dreamed of marrying Sasuke while he was wearing a bunny suit.

"I never thought I'd marry you when you were dressed up in a _bunny suit_," she murmured with laughter in her voice.

Sasuke glared at her. "Hn," he said back, meaning 'DAMNIT WOMAN THEY'RE _EARS_!'

"And do you, Sasuke-niisan, take—OH NO!" Akane screamed, interrupting Sakura's long awaited wedding to Sasuke (albeit it _was _unreal).

Sakura looked at the girl, concerned. "What's wrong Akane-chan?"

"Sasuke-niisan, you _forgot to propose to Sakura-neechan_!" Akane burst out, shocked. "Do it now!"

He decided it would be best to avoid any issues and to just do what the brat wanted.

"Sakura…" he drawled, sounding so dull and in monotone it was rather pathetic. "Will you marry me?"

Akane blinked and then frowned.

"Sasuke-niisan that _sucked_!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Time to make a show…

He dropped to one knee in front of Sakura and took her hands in his. Sakura's eyes widened at the sight of him in front of her in such a suggestive position causing her jaw to drop and her cheeks to redden.

"Sakura, I have known you for a long time and you are one of he few people who I have allowed myself to grow close to over this period… You've always been around to help me and pick me up when I was down. You treat me like a human being, not some glass doll or a deity on a pedestal. You're real and you care about me. Hm, and fine, I don't really show it well, but I care about you too."

The moment would have been so much better if there weren't bunny ears on his head.

Sasuke sighed and picked one of Akane's mini scrunchies from the floor, noticing it was about the size of a ring.

"Will you marry me?"

Akane poked Sakura when she noticed her neechan not replying.

"I…"

There were actually tears in Sakura's eyes, although she wouldn't let them fall.

She sniffled and nodded. "Yes, yes Sasuke-kun, I'll marry you."

He stood back up after looping the scrunchie around her ring finger.

"Okay, now kiss the bride, Sasuke-niisan!" Akane ordered.

He did.

For a while.

Akane checked her pink bubble gum princess clock and noticed a minute passed.

"Um… Sasuke-niisan… I don't want to play anymore."

She frowned.

They weren't listening.

"Sakura-neechan…?"

Akane scowled and stomped away from the 'newlyweds'.

"NARUTO-NIISAN!"


	7. Some Help Please

**7. Some Help Please  
**For Maiden of the Undead  
_**S is for SEX!**_

**&**

Sasuke hated the Hokage sometimes.

"I want more Sharingan in Konoha."

He snorted.

"So do some forbidden jutsu and bring the clan back to life," he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest because _he knew what the hell she was trying to imply for him to do_!

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. She rested her chin on her intertwined fingers, leaning over her desk.

"I want more Sharingan in Konoha," she repeated curtly. "And I expect one by the end of the year."

He scowled.

"The Sharingan is only meant for the Uchiha," Sasuke hissed. "Kakashi's an exception."

"Well then _make_ them Uchiha," she spat back. "And you know what, for that one, I want two in the next two years for Konoha."

"Forget it."

Sasuke glared at her stubbornly.

"I'm not getting married and recreating just for the sake of an order from you."

Tsunade smirked and he knew that wasn't a good sign.

"I thought you might say that, Uchiha," she said smugly. "Which is why I made some preparations." Tsunade threw a scroll at him and he caught it with ease. "It is classified as an S-rank mission."

His hand clenched around the mission scroll.

"You can't turn me having to get married and have kids a _mission_!"

"I'm Hokage," snapped Tsunade, sounding like Naruto. "What I say goes!"

She pointed at the door.

"Now go make babies!"

**&**

**-**

Sasuke hated Naruto sometimes.

The blond was hunched over, clutching his stomach, laughing loudly while trying to keep his balance.

"Dobe if you tell anyone, I swear I will rip your guts out—"

Naruto waved a hand reassuringly. "Ne, relax Sasuke-teme, _mission details_ are meant to be confidential!"

"Yo."

They looked up and saw Kakashi standing on the bridge railings, his porn in hand.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto greeted happily. "Guess what? The bastard has to marry someone and have a baby by the end of the year!"

He opened the mission scroll and waved it around in Kakashi's face.

Kakashi blinked and slowly, his single visible eyes crinkled to show he was grinning widely.

"Well would you look at that?"

He took the scroll from Naruto and began reading it thoroughly, with disbelief on his face.

"Tsunade-sama actually made this S-ranked…"

"S is for sex!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing at Sasuke. "Hey you bastard, maybe you'll finally lose your virginity—"

SPLASH.

When Naruto resurfaced from the pond he fell into after Sasuke pushed him off the bridge, he shot an accusing finger at him and a glare.

"Sasuke you bastard!"

**&**

**-**

Sasuke hated Sakura sometimes.

Well no.

No that was a lie.

"Sasuke-kun, not that I don't want you around but I _really_ want to study this new medical scroll Tsunade-shishou—"

Now _she _was someone Sasuke hated.

"—And Shizune-neechan gave to me for my birthday."

Sasuke sighed.

He could never _hate_ Sakura, just _oh my god, really, really not be able to stand her_.

Because she was so bloody _annoying_!

She was _always_ on his freaking mind.

"Sakura I need your help."

She blinked and glanced out the window in her office to check for any pigs. Sakura swallowed hardly _because holy crap the world was coming to an end_.

Did _Sasuke Uchiha_ just admit he needed help?

And did he just ask for _hers_?

Sasuke scowled when he saw the disbelief on her face.

"Sakura."

She shook her head. "Sorry, what was that?" Sakura scratched her chin, a sly smile on her face. "Oh yes, that was right…" Her voice suddenly became louder. "Sasuke Uchiha needs _my_ help!"

He frowned at her as she laughed hysterically.

She sighed contentedly. "Okay, well with what?"

"A mission."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at him out of confusion. "…A mission?"

"That's what I said."

She rolled her eyes. Here she was, about to help him because he asked and she was a nice friend slash teammate like that, and Sasuke just _had_ to make his self sound like an ass _as usual_!

"Well, not really for my mission…" He blushed slightly and Sakura grew even more shocked by the redness on his cheeks. "More like 'help in general'."

"Okay, well what is it?"

"Wait no, it's for my mission." Sasuke nodded sternly. "_Just_ for the mission."

Great.

"No wait, help in general."

He was babbling.

Sakura _was_ contagious…

"Or well—"

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura snapped. "_What_ do you need help with?"

Sasuke sighed.

"For my mission, I need to have some children with Sharingan _because the Hokage requests so_, but the Sharingan is meant to be for the Uchiha only—"

"What about Kakashi-sensei?"

He rolled his eyes at her interruption. "Well he can be an exception. Anyways, I need to get married and have kids."

Sakura blinked expectantly, hoping he wasn't implying what she thought he was implying.

"And…?"

"And I need your help."

Her hands clenched tightly.

"Sasuke if this is your way of proposing to me I will make sure you _can't_ have kids."

His eyes widened a fraction at her statement (not because of the threat but because she said the P-word) and he looked away, trying to glower. "I'm not _proposing_ to you, I'm asking for your help on my mission."

"Yeah, to be your wife and let you use my uterus!" she screamed back.

"Well…"

Sasuke scowled.

"Okay _fine_. Maybe I am proposing but whatever."

Silence.

"_Well_?"

"You want my help for your _mission_?" Sakura questioned rather quietly, sounding somewhat depressed.

The tone of her voice made his heart wrench.

UGH.

She was _so_ annoying!

"Yes… Well _no_," he replied with confusion. "I…"

He sighed.

"No."

Sakura blinked. "No?"

"No, it's not for the mission."

"Then for _what_?" asked Sakura as she started to grow exasperated.

"I told you earlier." He crossed his arms over his chest, regaining his cool. "I just want your help in general."

A smile made its way onto her lips slowly.

"So you _are_ proposing to me—"

"I'm not proposing!"

"—Hm…" Sakura shrugged, smirking at him. "Well I guess I could _help_ you out…" She shrugged. "You know, with your mission."

He grinned back, moving his face closer to hers.

She could feel his breath on her cheeks as his lips curled into a smirk.

"Well lets get working on it."

Smiling, she pointed to the examination bed in her office.

-


	8. Screw Tradition

**8. Screw Tradition  
**For gladdecease

-

_**Featuring Anti-Traditionalist!Sakura**_

**&**

"No."

Sasuke frowned at her response.

It wasn't quite what he expected considering her past (as in the stalking, the obsession, the constant date requests, the declarations of love, etc.).

"What?"

"I said 'no'."

Sakura crossed her arms over her chest and huffed, turning her head away.

"No, Sasuke Uchiha, I will not marry you."

Silently, he cursed Tsunade to hell for probably brain washing Sakura into becoming some anti-traditionalist woman who would rather die an old maid than let herself become some man's wife.

"Well why the hell not?" he asked, pouting like a little boy.

Sakura scowled at him (that's right, not the other way around). "Because I am an anti-traditionalist woman and I don't _want_ to become some man's wife who he could treat like a possession and work his whole superiority complex on."

Sasuke glared at her disapprovingly.

"I am not possessive."

"You are _too_ possessive," she shot back. "_And_ you're an attention whore. You were jealous of Naruto because your brother wanted to fight _him_ and not you back when we were younger."

He frowned, remembering the time that she just mentioned.

But he was _so_ not an attention whore!

"And I _don't_ have a superiority complex."

Sakura snorted.

"Oh _please_," she mocked, a smirk coming onto her face. "I'm not sure whose is worse. Yours, or Neji's?"

"Don't compare me to him," snapped Sasuke (because he _was_ rather miffed considering Sakura _just_ shot down his marriage proposal).

"I'm not comparing you to him," Sakura retorted smartly. "I'm comparing your superiority complex to his superiority complex."

He crossed his arms and stared at her disbelievingly.

"So you don't want to marry me because you think I'm possessive and have a superiority complex?" he question incredulously.

She nodded. "That, and I have a hunch you're only in it for the sex."

"_What_?"

"Well _you_ call it 'baby-making' slash 'restoring the clan' but Sasuke, _we all know what you mean_," huffed Sakura. "The point is, Sasuke Uchiha, that I _refuse_ to become some trophy prize wife who you could keep inside your house all the time and use as a baby maker. You're not getting your hands on my uterus, do you hear me?"

She growled.

"_Never_."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and fingered the ring he was going to give her.

"It's not like that you stupid moron."

Sakura glared. "You just proposed and have the gall to call me a stupid moron?"

He sighed. "Whatever. Would you just marry me?"

"No!"

"_Why_?"

"Because you're romantically retarded!" she protested.

Sasuke glowered at her. "I am not retarded."

"You are _romantically_!" She waved her arms frantically. "Look at this! You're not even on one knee. You don't have any flowers." Sakura pointed around at their scenery. "We're on some freaking training grounds!" She poked him rather hard in the chest. "_And_ you couldn't even muster a love declaration."

Pause.

"Whatever."

Sasuke sighed for the umpteenth time.

"Fine, if I do this right _then_ will you get out of your stupid anti-traditionalist mind frame and marry me?"

Sakura considered this.

"…Maybe."

"Fine."

Face red (from embarrassment or anger, Sakura didn't know), Sasuke dropped onto one knee before her.

"Sakura…" he began as he played with the ring in his hands. "Ever since I met you, I thought you were annoying—"

"You bastard!" she seethed with anger and attempted to knee his head but he held her in place.

He rolled his eyes again. "Would you stop interrupting?!"

Sakura scowled and turned her head.

"Now, as I was saying, Sakura, you're freaking annoying. When you're around, you don't leave me the hell alone, and when you're gone, you're still bothering me like there's no tomorrow." He felt her shaking in anger. "You're always on my mind and damnit, you're _annoying_. I always wonder if you're okay, or how you are on missions, or if you're stressing yourself out at the hospital, or if you're out with other guys."

He grunted.

"So I was thinking, that maybe we should get married. It'd be easier to keep tabs on all this stuff."

Pause.

Sakura gaped at him.

"That's _it_?"

"Could you wait, you annoying woman?" he snapped. "I'm trying to think."

"Well _excuse me_!"

Ugh.

He couldn't think.

Sasuke groaned and stood back up, having had enough.

"Damnit Sakura, you know me. You know me better than I know myself because you're so annoyingly smart. You know that I care about you and maybe l—love…" he scowled and swallowed, "and maybe _love_ you, okay?"

He put the ring on her finger.

"So could you stop being an annoying pain in the ass and admit that you want to marry me."

She spoke while staring at the pretty shiny thing on her left hand.

"Screw you asshole!"

He sighed and couldn't help the smug look that made its way onto his face. "You know you want to say yes."

"I do _not_," she hissed angrily.

"You do too," he retorted calmly, regaining his cool. "You just want to be a stubborn bitch and act like a feminist."

Ah, so he saw through the act.

"So Sakura, will you marry me?" he repeated.

Third time's the charm.

"I…"

She made a face.

"Yeah, whatever."

-

**Next Shot:**

**9. Unsanitary  
**"What the hell is this, there's a ring in my food! EW!"


	9. Unsanitary

I combined two ideas for this one.

I guess to be safe I'll make this an AU.  
Are there French people in the Naruto world?

And PS.  
Sasuke is not OOC.  
He just has no reason to be emo.

-

**9. Unsanitary  
**For Sakura-Sasuke-love-em'  
and hushhushyou

-

**&**

Tonight was the night.

"Oui monsieur," a waiter with a heavy French accent. "Proposals are always such _wonderful_ things!" He chuckled kindly. "Why don't you do this? As you and your lady-love dine together, we will bring out some champagne and in her glass, we will put your engagement ring."

And since Sasuke was romantically retarded, he would take all the help he could get.

"Yeah, sure…"

The man clapped, a dreamy smile on his face.

"Oh monsieur, this shall be such a spectacular night for you," he exclaimed. He pulled Sasuke's chair out for him and waited for him to sit down before pushing it back in. "I shall bring the champagne and glasses, one with the ring in it, out for you shortly after she arrives."

Sasuke nodded dumbly.

"Yeah, sure…"

Sitting alone at the table, he twiddled his thumbs nervously.

Where the hell was Sakura?

He shifted his tie (normally, he couldn't care for them but Sakura said they made him look hot and often used them as something to pull on before commencing _things_) and swallowed hard.

Really, where _was_ she?

Sasuke frowned, mentally noting that he would have to tell his father to give his personal assistant at least a little bit of a break. He met Sakura Haruno, the dear love of his life, through his father, a couple years back. Sakura was bringing the CEO of Uchiha Inc. his coffee, when Sasuke, after having a hissy-fit with his dad, stormed out of his office, therefore slamming into her and causing her to spill said coffee.

She, being the temperamental woman that she was (is) then gave him a good smack for that.

And well, it was love at first slap.

So he offered to buy her a new dress (after ogling at how the liquid made the one she had stick to her body) and take her out for coffee to make up for it, all the while flashing his Uchiha charm.

She merely told him off and said it was for her boss, Fugaku Uchiha. Then she stomped into his father's office, apologizing repeatedly for getting coffee on some of the documents she had because some moron crashing into her and spilled the drink she got for him all over her clothes and work.

Fugaku smiled and said that the moron was his son.

Sasuke smirked, remembering how wide her eyes got when his father said that to her. She immediately started to apologize to him for slapping him and saying all the rude things she did.

But seriously…

Where the _hell_ was Sakura?

"Sorry I'm late!"

Finally.

Standing up to greet her (because Sasuke was a gentleman like that and chivalry was well and alive), Sasuke pecked her on the cheek and pulled out her chair politely. His dark eyes roamed over her figure, clad in a dark green dress that hugged her curves perfectly.

She put her matching clutch purse down on the table and looked around it.

"Where's the alcohol?" she inquired dryly, going through the menu that was already on the table.

Sasuke grinned knowingly. "Just wait. How was work?"

She ran a hand through her hair and sighed (while Sasuke decided he liked the look of her breathless). "Work is tiring. And tedious. _Very_ tedious." She looked at Sasuke, frowning. "Er, but don't tell your father I said that…"

"What'd you do?"

"I wasted three hours of my life, that's what I did!" she whined. "I don't get why I get stuck tagging along on meetings."

"Because you're his PA. You probably know more than he does."

Sakura chuckled wryly, looking for a nearby waiter to hurry up and bring some wine or champagne or anything.

"Bonjour mademoiselle," the waiter who Sasuke spoke to previously greeted. "Are you two ready to order?"

Despite the stress and strong urge to drink, she smiled politely. "Yes, I'd like the chicken fettuccini please."

"I'll have a steak, medium well," Sasuke ordered.

The waited nodded. "Alright then." He signaled to someone else and another server came, putting down two filled glasses of champagne and the bottle. Winking at Sasuke, the waiter bowed, before taking his leave.

When he was gone, Sakura grinned wryly.

"Sasuke, I think the waiter's hot for you."

He choked on his spit.

"_What_?!"

"He winked at you," she stated.

Sasuke frowned, disregarding her comment, as he observed that _she didn't notice the ring in her glass_.

Still smiling at Sasuke, thinking the discomfort on his face was because she thought their waiter was gay for her boyfriend, she raised the champagne glass to her lips and began to take sips.

Staring down at his lap nervously, Sasuke began to speak.

"Sakura, we've been together for a long time and there was something I wanted to ask you…"

"What is it?"

Stress from her job as Fugaku Uchiha's PA got to her and eventually those sips became gulps.

"Well, I was wondering—"

Until she choked.

Her eyes widened when she felt something get caught in her throat.

"S—Sasuke!" she croaked, slapping her chest, hoping to do something to ease the discomfort.

"—will you marry me?"

"Sasuke!"

He finally looked back up and saw her face was red and their were small tears in her eyes. It took him a second to realize that no, it was not because she was glad she proposed but because she was _choking_.

Sakura was choking.

On the ring.

Shit.

"Crap!"

He immediately shot up from his seat and went behind Sakura, wrapping his arms around her abdomen, doing the Heimlich maneuver on her. Sasuke pushed on her a couple of times until finally, she coughed and the thing in her throat flew out of her mouth, miraculously landing in Sasuke's glass.

She breathed deeply and wiped her eyes, turning around to bury her face in his chest.

"W—What the _hell _was that?!" she muttered, her voice a bit hoarse. "And… Did you just ask me to _marry_ you?"

"Hn."

Sakura looked into the glass where whatever she choked on fell and she gasped.

"That's a ring…"

Sasuke sighed and sat back down, ignoring the stares people were giving them. "Yes, it is."

"And you just proposed to me…" Sakura, despite the near death experience, couldn't help but smile. "And you tried to be sweet and romantic by putting the ring in my glass…"

He blushed and glared at the floor. "Except you were supposed to notice it before drinking the champagne, stupid."

She giggled cutely and used her fork to take the ring out of his drink. She wiped it down and held it between her fingers. Smiling at Sasuke, she handed it back to him.

"Well you wanna do it again?"

Rolling his eyes, he muttered some incoherent words under his breath and sighed. He got up from his chair and went over to her side of the table, dropping down onto one knee.

He was vaguely aware that the waiter Sakura thought was hot for him, and the people eating there were staring at him.

Because _everyone_ knew what it meant when a guy kneeled down like that in front of a girl.

"Look, I know I almost killed you right now because I was trying to be romantic for you…" He sighed. "But you know me and you know that romance isn't really my thing."

Someone aw-ed.

"Loving you is my thing."

He cringed inwardly, thanking the god he didn't believe in that his best friend Naruto wasn't around to tell him he sounded gay.

"So, Sakura Haruno—"

Sasuke put the ring on her finger.

"Will you marry me?"

Obviously, she said yes.

-

**You know what would've been **_**awesome**_**?  
If the Sasuke in the new Shippuuden  
ending credits wore a freaking tie.  
Wouldn't he have looked so much hotter?  
Excuse me while I squeal like a fan girl.**


	10. Dip Her And Kiss Her

Who else is a total fan of Grey's Anatomy?

I was just watching my collection and then I got  
to the episode where at the end, Alex comes out of  
nowhere behind Izzy and then pulls her down from  
her stool and full out kisses her in front of everyone.

Score.

-

**10. Dip Her And Kiss Her**

**&**

**-**

"I still can't believe we're having Girls Night dinner at Ichiraku."

"Well they have their low fat ramen now so it's not that bad."

"Yeah, and Naruto-kun kind of got me hook on it."

"God only knows how often he brings you here Hinata."

The four girls ate some of their ramen while talking because it was Girls Night and that was what they were supposed to be doing.

"So, how are the love lives going?" Sakura inquired between bites of her own soup. (Sadly), Sakura was the only one of the four who was single but she always said she loved being alone.

Hinata smiled at them dreamily. "Well, Naruto-kun made me dinner last night."

Tenten looked her curiously. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, we're all talking about the same Naruto Uzumaki here, right?" Ino teased.

The pearly-eyed girl chuckled. "Yep. He made me ramen. It wasn't the _greatest_—" Which translated to 'Holy crap it was absolutely disgusting', "—but it was the thought that counted."

The girls chorused their squeals together.

Ino and Tenten proceeded to tell their own stories and the process of girlishly giggling continued for each story. Finally, the three girls all looked at Sakura expectantly, arms crossed over their chests and firm expressions on their faces.

"Sakura-chan…"

"You need to stop this single streak of yours."

"It's not healthy."

Sakura frowned.

Gosh, even Hinata was in on it.

"What single streak?" she asked, playing dumb. "I don't know what you people are talking about."

Tenten smirked evilly. "You're right. Coming to think about it, you _have_ been spending a lot of time with your precious _Sasuke-kun_."

Sakura choked on her ramen and looked at them incredulously.

"_WHAT_?!"

Hinata nodded wisely. "Yes, that's true. Naruto-kun often whines that 'the bastard and Sakura-chan don't love him anymore' because they're always doing," a smirk crept onto her lips, "some er, _special training_."

"W—What?" Sakura sputtered. She shook her head wildly as they all looked at her in amusement. "Hinata-chan, you know better than to believe something that _Naruto_ says!"

She slapped the table, unconsciously putting in her crazy strength therefore causing their bowls to jump slightly.

"There is absolutely _nothing_ going on between Sasuke Uchiha and I!"

"Hn."

All four of the girls whipped their heads around and saw Sasuke Uchiha standing behind Sakura, his face impassive.

Sakura's face reddened immensely.

"S—Sasuke-kun, w—what are you doing here—"

She had no time to finish her question because she suddenly yelped, Sasuke having had pulled her down from the stool half way so that she was still seated on it but was basically lying down with his arms steadying her. Immediately, he pressed his lips against hers, smothering her words with one heck of a kiss that Ino, Tenten, and even Hinata couldn't help but watch enviously.

Teeth.

Tongue.

Roaming hands.

Everything!

…_Wow_.

She knew that if he hadn't been holding the half of her body that was hanging off the stool, she would've fallen flat on her back because holy crap, Sasuke Uchiha was one hell of a kisser.

He finally pulled away, leaving her breathless.

Sakura blinked dazedly over and over again.

"Hn."

She watched as Sasuke put something on the counter right in front of her. With his oh-so sexy (smug, confident, arrogant, knee-weakening) smirk, he shoved his hands in his and proceeded to walk away, leaving the girls sitting there (Sakura still out of breath) and watching his retreating back (ass).

Silence.

"What the hell was that…?" Tenten asked, shocked, breaking the silence.

"I don't know…"

Ino pointed to what was in front of Sakura.

"Better question! What the hell is _that_?!"

Sakura looked down at the counter and gasped at what she saw because oh crap, it was a _ring_.

"Fuck!"

Immediately, Sakura pulled some money out of her pocket and slammed it on the counter. She grabbed her little gift from Sasuke and shouted goodbyes to her three friends while running at a speed they never knew she had, to most likely get to the Uchiha district (to say yes, I'll marry you, now lets go make a start on your whole goal of restoring the clan!).

Silence.

"What the hell was that…?"

"I don't know…"

"Better question! What the hell is she going to say?"

Another silence.

The three broke into devious smiles.

"Wanna go spy…?"

-

Because we all love our girl friends.


	11. Monkey Business

**11. Monkey Business  
**_"Sasuke-kun, just leave the monkey alone."  
_for graviola

**&**

**-**

It was like a mission with Team Seven all over again.

Why?

Because although the task was for only Sasuke and Sakura, the evil _thing_ they were transporting for its owner reminded the Uchiha so much of their teammate who was back in Konoha, probably eating ramen at Ichiraku.

The monkey was the pet of some dumb kid of some super rich guy down in the Wave Country. The damn brat requested a monkey that came precisely from the Fire country and was paying good money for it (which Sakura thought was a _complete_ waste). Tsunade had chosen she and Sasuke to bring the monkey to the kid because well, they had no missions (although Sasuke was sure she was just being a bitch and didn't want them snogging in the hospital supplies closet anymore. That time when she caught them wasn't very pleasant).

Sasuke glared at the monkey hatefully.

It smiled back at him.

"Sasuke-kun, just leave the monkey alone."

But he couldn't.

See, just like Naruto, the monkey was prone to bothering Sasuke.

And how did it bother Sasuke?

Simple.

It stole the ring Sasuke planned to propose to Sakura with when they took a break on their way back to Konoha and when the monkey was gone.

_Stupid_ monkey.

"It's not that easy, Sakura," muttered Sasuke as he and the monkey stared each other down.

Sakura rolled her eyes and lifted the monkey, putting her hands under its arms. She carried it like a baby, cuddling it against her chest while it rested its arms off her shoulders.

Tauntingly, the monkey waved the ring at Sasuke who was walking behind them.

That.

Little.

Bastard.

Sasuke's eyes flashed red (literally, since his Sharingan tended to activate when he was absolutely pissed) and he clenched his fists tightly because if he tried to grab the monkey, Sakura would proceed to kick his ass (deprive him of clan restoring time).

"Stop glaring at the monkey, Sasuke-kun," Sakura ordered.

How did she know?

Sasuke scowled at her and then looked at the floor furiously, mentally wondering how to get the ring back from the monkey without Sakura noticing it, which would be rather difficult since the little bastard was currently in Sakura's arms.

Fucker.

He cleared his throat and made en effort to _smile_ at her charmingly as he walked beside her.

"Why don't you let _me_ hold the monkey for you, Sakura?"

She stopped walking at looked at him suspiciously. "Sasuke-kun, remember, if we don't bring this monkey to that dumb kid then we will not get paid. If it is harmed, they will claim this one to be unacceptable—"

Obviously, she thought he was going to murder it.

"I know that," he snapped back.

Sakura immediately stopped walking and just glared at him.

(Perhaps she was spending too much time with her dear lover).

"I mean…" Sasuke grunted when the gold of the ring shone under the sun's light. (Thankfully) Sakura was too caught up in practicing her own death glare on him to notice the piece of jewelry. "I'm sorry I snapped at you," he ground out between a wide grin of clenched teeth. "Now why don't you let me hold the monkey—" He held back the colorful insults, "—so you don't have to carry the weight."

Pause.

"Are you call me weak?"

Sasuke felt the urge to slap himself.

Here he was, _trying_ to help her out (and save his ass at the same time but whatever) and she thought he was insulting her.

"No, I'm trying to help you."

Sakura resumed her pace, sticking her head in the air. "Well I don't want your help."

The damn monkey waved its arms again behind Sakura's head, one hand holding onto Sasuke's ring.

He lost it.

"You stupid monkey!"

Sakura turned around to tell him off as Sasuke began losing his cool. He lunged for the monkey, accidentally knocking over Sakura in the process and landing on top of her. The (damn, annoying, fucking) monkey jumped in the air before it could fall to the ground along with the couple.

Although what goes up must come down…

Sasuke couldn't hide the smirk that came onto his lips when the monkey fell to the dirt floor on its head.

Now to find the ring—

"Ow!"

Sakura pressed her forehead where something small but with some weight on it landed on her oh-so wide forehead.

She plucked it off and Sasuke noticed that the monkey no longer had the ring.

Sakura did.

A slow smile crept onto her lips as her eyes widened.

"Wow Sasuke-kun, this monkey must be something special! Look at the ring it came with!" she exclaimed, commenting to herself on how pretty the gold band with three small diamonds encrusted into it was. "Oh, I wish I had one like this!"

This time he did smack himself in the forehead, after quickly getting off of her while she remained on the ground, examining the ring over her head (and the monkey rubbed its own painfully).

"Its yours you idiot."

Sakura blinked in confusion.

"Huh?"

He sighed and sat down beside her frozen form, still on the dirt floor.

"That damn monkey took the ring from me."

She cocked her head slightly, looking at him in questioningly.

"Why would you have a ring with you—_Oh_…"

"Yeah."

Sakura felt her cheeks heating up.

"So you were going to—"

"Yeah."

"But then the monkey stole—"

"Yeah."

"And now we're here—"

"Yeah."

Silence.

"This is awkward."

"Yeah…"

Sakura giggled uncomfortably, scratching the back of her neck while looking away from him. "Well really Sasuke-kun, you're not the one who's supposed to be saying 'yeah', right now, you know?"

His eyes widened a fraction.

"So that's a—"

"Yeah."

**&**

Still up for challenges!

Also, I was wondering, can anyone refer to  
any stories that are both NaruHina and SasuSaku  
_equally_ at the same time and are really awesome?  
Thank you!


	12. Outside Your Window

"Okay, here it is, your choice…  
it's simple, her or me, and I'm sure  
she is really great. But Derek, I love you,  
in a really, really big 'pretend to like your  
taste in music', 'let you eat the last piece  
of cheesecake', 'hold a radio over my head  
outside your window', unfortunate way  
that makes me hate you, love you.  
So pick me, choose me, love me."  
- Meredith, Grey's Anatomy.

Did anyone else cry when they saw this episode?

**-**

**12. Outside Your Window  
**Another night with the girls!  
Oh, and a parody from Grey's Anatomy.

&

**-**

"Boys are stupid."

"Men are just scum."

"Screw them all."

"They deserve to die."

Some scenes passed.

"He is so sweet."

"I wish I had someone like him."

"Oh, that damn bitch."

"She is so lucky."

Sakura sniffled as the movie the four of them were all watching in her apartment bedroom, comfortably lying on her bed, continued on and he who was supposed to be the leading man said some romantic things, claiming he could change and then the girl he was supposed to win over just magically fell into his arms and they kissed freaking hotly.

That.

Lucky.

Bitch.

"I wish I were her," Ino muttered, eating a spoon of chocolate icing (because really, it was Girls Night and they ate all the junk food that they wanted, and besides, they were _kunoichi_, they'd burn the fat the next day at training).

"I second that," said Tenten between handfuls of chips.

Hinata sighed. "Third."

"Would you look at that proposal?!" Sakura squealed, jumping to the edge of the bed. "That girl is one lucky bitch."

Tenten sighed dreamily. "I imagine that when I get proposed to, it'll be during training." She continued talking before they could say anything along the lines of what the fuck. "See, I like training so if it were to happen then, it would be _meaningful_…"

Hinata grinned slyly, noticing her dazed state. "Ne, Tenten-chan, and just _who_ exactly would do the proposing?"

"Neji, _duh_…" Her brown eyes widened when she realized that she was tricked. "Well _Naruto-kun_ really making a change in you, isn't he Hinata? Getting you all sly like that, hm?"

"I—I don't know what you're talking about!"

Ino flopped onto the bed, staring up with a wistful expression on my face.

"My boy toy will propose to me in a flower field."

Sakura giggled and put a piece of chocolate in her mouth. "That sounds romantic—"

The four kunoichi whipped their heads towards the window when they heard a rock bounce off of it.

Snarling, Sakura got up because she had a hunch about who was there. She opened it and saw exactly whom she was expecting.

Sasuke Uchiha.

Her _ex_.

Ex, one may ask in shock (because who in their right mind would dumb a sex god like him?!).

Well Sakura discovered that patience was not a virtue, and waiting for Sasuke to get the stick out of his ass and show her at least _a little bit_ of appreciation, much less affection, was just a waste of time because it was _not_ going to happen.

So she dumped him.

Because really, she wasn't going to wait for him forever while taking his harsh and hurtful rejections.

Clearly, Sakura Haruno was no masochist.

"Sasuke-kun, what the hell are you doing here?!" she hissed down to him, careful not to disturb her neighbors.

For fuck sake's it was _two_ in the morning!

"I need to talk to you."

"At two in the morning?!"

The girls all gathered near the window to watch the feuding (ex) couple.

"Go away!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Would you stop being so annoying for a minute and just let me talk—"

"Uchiha I'm gonna kill you!

"Sakura, I love you."

All words died in her mouth.

"Sakura, I love you," he repeated, "in a really, really messed up 'help you with your training because you suck', 'let you have the last tomato', 'bare everything in front of everyone right outside your window', _annoying_ way that makes me hate you, love you."

It was then that she noticed how terrible he looked.

He went through a mighty change after they broke up.

He was snappier than usual and that stick in his ass seemed to have gone deeper. His face was paler, and there were bags under his eyes, signs of lack of sleep, and his hair looked more unkempt than normal.

Was it all Sakura's doing…?

"I… I'm sorry."

He sounded so broken it made her heart wrench.

Sakura didn't know what to do.

"Say something!" Ino hissed to her, poking her harshly.

She shook her head out of her stupor and looked down at him. Sasuke was standing under her window, his face bowed shamefully. His clothes were disheveled and his hands were clenched tightly.

"Sasuke—"

He cut her off before she could add the honorific.

"Marry me."

"_What_?!"

The four girls gasped (although the other three were just there eavesdropping like friends do).

Sakura was speechless.

Ino moved in front of the window.

"_I'll_ marry you!" the blonde volunteered

Tenten made an incredulous noise while Hinata slapped her forehead. The brunette pulled Ino away from the window where Sakura stood and hit her hard on the back of the head.

"Oh _please_," Ino scoffed. "Did you not hear that?! Who _wouldn't _say yes?"

"Er…" Tenten shrugged uneasily, eyes glazing over slightly. "Yeah, you're right…"

Hinata rolled her eyes. "Guys, really, back to _Sakura-chan_, the real person who just got the most amazing love declaration… and proposal…" She shook her head. "Let's just give Sakura-chan our moral support damnit."

Ino and Tenten blushed.

"Right."

"Sakura, say yes!" Tenten ordered in a whisper, all of them crouching under the windowsill.

Sasuke was still outside, looking up at her expectantly.

She realized now that what his hand was clenched around was a ring.

"I…" Sakura gulped.

"Talk!" Ino grunted.

She nodded wildly.

"Yes!"

Sakura broke into a happy grin as tears of joy ran down her face.

"I'll marry you!"

As she jumped out the window to get to her new fiancé, her dear friends looked at the left over junk food for some jealous comfort.

That.

Lucky.

Bitch.

-


	13. She's The Man

**13. She's The Man**

**&**

**-**

"I think we should get married."

It came out so casually and sudden that Sasuke's jaw almost dropped at her bold statement.

There she was, hair slightly disheveled from just waking up and clothes a bit wrinkled, sitting on the red painted railings of the bridge, swinging her legs back and forth while she stared at her nails, most likely contemplating what color to use next as they waited (impatiently) for Naruto and Kakashi to show up so they could train a bit (since Sasuke really had _nothing_ to do, being mission-less and all).

Hell, she wasn't even _looking_ at him when she said that.

Sasuke snorted coolly, quirking up one eyebrow.

"And why should we do that?"

She shrugged nonchalantly and yawned.

"Well, you just killed your brother and you're currently on probation, therefore, for the next eight months you have nothing to do. So I was thinking… Well remember on our first day with Kakashi-sensei and how you said after Itachi died, you wanted to restore your clan?"

He nodded slowly.

"And so?"

"_So_ I was thinking we should get married." Sakura stared harder at her nails, her cheeks slowly beginning to match the shade of crimson they were painted. "I wouldn't mind having sex all the time."

Sasuke gaped at her.

Sakura chuckled.

"I mean, _baby-making_. You know, clan-restoring…"

Awkward.

"Tomato, tomato," she said, saying the word differently each time.

He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her in a scrutinizing manner.

"And what makes you think I'd want _you_ to be my wife and the mother of my children."

Sakura looked offended.

"_Excuse me_?" she hissed. Sakura hopped off the wooden railing and stomped over to him. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down to face her better (since she was rather short). "I healed your sorry ass after your brother died and you were about to follow in his footsteps."

She let go of his dark shirt.

"Don't you think I kinda sorta _deserve_ it?"

Sasuke scowled.

He hated remembering that it _was_ Naruto and Sakura who saved him.

"I never asked you to."

But nevertheless, he was grateful.

There was a short silence.

"So… Do you think we should get married, too?" Sakura asked. "We can have lots of babies, I guess…"

Sasuke shrugged.

"Whatever."

**&**

**Score.  
Sakura's the man.**


	14. Sweet Kiwis

Recommendation: "Kiwi" by Maroon 5  
But it's rotten lime. I don't smutty scenes.

Enjoy, (you perverts).

-

**14. Sweet Kiwis**

**&**

**-**

She let out a strangled moan of pleasure as he nibbled on her neck, licking and sucking at her pulse with those lips of his.

Ugh.

_Crap_.

Those lips.

Her green eyes shot open when she felt a rush of cold air and found the zipper that held her red shirt _closed_ was _unclosed_ and therefore _unzipped_, ergo, leaving her bra-covered chest on display to his smoldering ebony gaze.

Sakura made a quick effort to raise the hands that were clenched around his bed sheets to cover herself but he immediately gripped her wrists.

Sasuke smirked down at her, his eyes saying the message so he didn't have to part those oh-so perfect lips of his.

Oh no you don't.

He separated her arms from the crossed over position they had in front of her breasts, putting them on her sides.

Inwardly, she cursed herself for not wearing shorts that day. Her skirt, in her opinion at least, was long enough and so whenever she was just working at the hospital or had the day off, she just had her panties beneath the white fabric.

Ugh.

_Damnit_.

Her breath hitched when his naughty fingers touched down _there_ while he kept his face (oh, the lips!) busy with her neck again. With the fabric of her thin panties pushed aside, he rubbed the spot that he knew made her jump and then bit down on her neck. When she groaned, writhing beneath his weight, he nibbled again on the same spot, soothing the bite with soft kisses and licks.

Ugh.

_Fuck_.

He took his hands away from her ('DAMNIT' roared Inner Sakura) to take off his shirt, throwing it across in the room.

In her dazed state, she remained staring at the ceiling of his bedroom (kind of wondering how the hell she got into this situation). It wasn't until she heard the zip of his pants that she realized some facts.

_That_ was all some foreplay.

And now she was in for what came _after_.

She sat up and looked at him with her glazed over green eyes and flashed face.

"W—Wait! Do you have a condom?!"

He looked at her like _she_ was the insane one (because really, if one of them were crazy, it'd be Sasuke. 'Heh, crazy about _her_ that is!' Inner Sakura yelled joyfully. Oh, really, Sakura cracked herself up).

"Why would I use a condom?"

Sakura gaped at him.

"Well I don't know, maybe because by doing what we're doing—"

Sex seemed a bit hard for her to say.

"—I just might kinda sorta get _pregnant_!"

He snorted.

"That's the point, stupid."

Her eyes grew wider and it took quite a long time for her to process what he just said.

"YOU'RE _TRYING_ TO GET ME _PREGNANT_?!"

Sasuke scrutinized her hard with his dark (smoldering, beautiful, enticing, captivating, etcetera) eyes and Sakura _almost_ screamed something along the lines of 'take me now' and _almost_ threw herself at him.

"Of course."

She would have grabbed the collar of his shirt in an intimidating manner but unfortunately (fortunately) he was not wearing one.

"_Excuse me_?"

She gave him a slap.

"We're not even _married_ you idiot!"

"Why would we get married?" he asked dumbly.

Sakura felt her face growing red, now from anger, not lust or embarrassment.

"Most people _do_ get married before having kids!"

"Oh."

Sasuke looked a bit depressed (and Sakura kind of wanted to kiss him better).

"Well I guess we can do that," he mumbled.

He sounded like a little boy (grown man) who just had his candy (sex) taken away (delayed slightly).

Sakura felt guilty (but elated at the same time because they were gonna _holy crap, get married_!).

She sighed.

"Um… We can still have sex."

He grinned.

**-**

**Ch.**


	15. Running Away

**15. Running Away**

**&**

**-**

Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke all lay down together on a slanted hill by the riverside, letting the tranquility of the night ease their senses. It was beautiful, in one word, to be under the stars with her friends, Sakura thought. She looked at what was across on the other side of the lake and smiled sympathetically.

There, on the opposite side of where Team Seven lay, was a reception for a newly wed couple.

Sakura sighed.

"Poor girl," she mumbled to herself.

Naruto, who lay on her right, picked up on her words. He crossed an arm behind his head and glanced down at her. "Who's a poor girl?"

She made a face and pointed across the lake. "Her. The bride…" Sakura sat up and frowned. She drew her legs up and leaned her chin on her knees. "She just totally threw her life away."

Sasuke, to her left, came into the conversation. "Sakura she just got married."

"Exactly!" she exclaimed, nodding her rapidly. "They might as well have just locked her up and thrown away the key!"

They both stared at her incredulously.

"I'm _never_ gonna get married," she said, quickly forgetting she was with her two favorite boys. "Or well, I'll get married, just not in the matter that I'll stay stuck in one place with my lovely husband." There was a whimsical look on her face that made her look like she was dreaming. Her eyes held a mirthful appearance and her pink lips were curved into a small smile. "See, I'm gonna run away."

"Run away…?"

Sakura nodded and then dropped backwards onto the grass again. From the corners of their eyes, Naruto and Sasuke saw her smile growing larger by the second. "You see boys, Mr. Perfect—wait no, _Mr. Right_—"

"Aren't they the same?"

"—Mr. Right is just going to come and sweep me off my feet," Sakura announced. She glanced at Naruto. "And no, they are not the same thing because Mr. Perfect… Well he's not real. There's no such thing as a Mr. Perfect, because really, when you meet him, you discover that nope, he's not perfect. Well then I guess he's real, but the point is that he's not perfect. Far from it, to be exact," she added, looking a bit miffed. "He's a complete utter ass who—"

"We get the point."

She blushed, realizing how much she was babbling. "Well anyways, after he sweeps me off my feet, he's obviously going to catch me and put me on his horse—"

"He has a _horse_?"

"Oh gosh, you're right. No, he's not going to have a horse. He's going to carry me. Bridal style. Because that's hot."

"Ne, Sakura-chan—"

"And _then_, we are going to leave the village and run away together. We'll probably just get married in the Kage's office at whatever village we came across in our love fest. And then we live happily ever after," she concluded. "The end."

"You forgot to put the part where you both get labeled missing-nin and hunted and killed," Sasuke added sarcastically.

Naruto grinned at her slyly. "Yeah, and Sakura-chan, I don't think I'd want to run away from Konoha," he joked, pretending she was talking about him. "But don't worry, I can do the whole sweeping you thing." He didn't have a crush on her anymore, but it was still fun to tease.

Sakura glared at them both.

"Okay, I never laughed or made fun of _your_ dreams so back off of mine!"

**&**

**-**

Eight years had passed since that night and Team Seven was once again, sitting on that very same hill, watching another wedding.

They had been to that wedding of course, but after having their share of alcoholic beverages, saying their hellos, and congratulating Shizune and Genma, since the food wasn't going to be served for another forty minutes or so, they crossed the small lake and lay down on the grass, a bit reluctantly on Sakura's part because she said Ino would kill her for ruining her hair. In the end, she just took out all the pins her friend had put in there and let her long pink locks cascade over her shoulders.

"You think Shizune-neechan will be like some prisoner, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, staring at the bride who was dancing with her new husband.

Sakura shrugged. "Genma's okay. I'm sure he won't treat her like a housewife."

"You threatened him," Sasuke stated, more so than asked.

She shrugged again, grinning sheepishly.

Naruto chuckled. "Are you still planning on running away, Sakura-chan?" He smiled. "Don't worry, when I become Hokage and I find out Sakura-chan and one of my other shinobi are missing, I won't send a herd of ANBU on you."

"Well gosh, how sweet of you Naruto," she mocked. Sakura sighed sadly. "I gave up on that dream…"

The blond gasped dramatically. "_What_? Sakura-chan, you're not supposed to give up on a dream." He pointed to himself and then to Sasuke, who was staring up at the sky expressionlessly. "I've already been picked by Tsunade-baachan to be her successor. Sasuke-teme killed his brother." Naruto of course, left out the details of Sasuke's dream and how he got it. "Sakura-chan, you are _not_ supposed to give up on a dream!"

"Shut up," she muttered, crossing an arm over her head, covering her eyes. "Ugh, it's just… I can't find Mr. Right."

"W—What?!" Naruto sputtered. "_That's_ why you're giving up on your dream?" He shook his head. "Well what about Mr. Perfect," he suggested. "You sounded like you knew him pretty well when we last talked about this!"

"Yes." She sounded rather bitter. "But when we spoke about this last time, we also established that Mr. Perfect is an ass."

"Maybe he's not an ass," Sasuke suggested.

"No, he's an ass—"

"Maybe you're just really annoying to him or something."

"Excuse me—"

Naruto interrupted before Sakura could bite his head off for that remark. "Or _maybe_, the reason why Mr. Perfect wasn't so perfect was actually because he wasn't Mr. Perfect after all." He nodded wisely and crossed his arms over his chest. "Maybe Mr. Perfect is in fact, Mr. Right."

Sakura blinked and sat up.

"I never thought of it like that."

"Hn."

Sakura sighed and lay back again.

"I should get back to the wedding," Naruto said, getting up. "Hinata-chan might be looking for me."

The pair (not _couple_ because by saying 'couple' one may think things that are not true!) lay on the grass for a few more minutes until Sasuke finally got up. "We should go back now," he said (because he was sure if they stayed away too long and it was just the two of them, Kakashi would start smiling that stupid perverted grin of his that said 'what were the two of you up to?').

Sakura nodded and lifted one arm, smiling at Sasuke.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun, could you help me up please?"

And he did.

Just not how she was expecting him to.

Sasuke moved to her side, picking her up with one arm under her knees, the other, supporting her back, carrying the pink-haired girl bridal style.

Her eyes widened and she began to thrash slightly. '

"W—What are you _doing_?!"

"I do believe I just swept you off your feet," he muttered, smirking at her sexily, when she finally stopped trying to move around. He found the shocked look on her face to be rather adorable and amusing. "And now I'm carrying you."

"Bridal style…"

"Bridal style." He chuckled. "Because that's hot."

Sakura put her arms around his neck and smiled at him adoringly. "And are you saying you want to run away with me and get married?"

He just shrugged, and shifted her slightly so that he had a firmer grip to keep her steady.

Then he ran.

"Aw, you _do_ want to run away with me and get married!"

**&**

**Next Shot:  
16. Well What A Surprise  
**out on Sasuke-kun's birthday!


	16. Happy Birthday

**16. Happy Birthday  
**for chibiaries

**&**

**-**

The plan for the day was that while Sakura decorated her house (the place where they decided to hold the event), Naruto would keep Sasuke busy so that he wouldn't all of a sudden decide to go visit his girlfriend and thus, discover the surprise party they were planning (because since he was able to rid himself of that dear bane of his existence, Sasuke started allowing himself to be a bit more social—but to an extent).

So Naruto had decided that he and Sasuke would just train, train, eat ramen, and train and eventually, the party would come.

"Why are you bothering me?" Sasuke muttered tiredly.

It was eight in the morning and the night before (or well technically, earlier that morning, specifically at three) Sasuke had just come home from a long and tiring mission.

"It's my birthday. Can't you leave me alone today, at least?"

"Nope," Naruto replied cheerfully. When Sasuke moved to pull his comforter back over his head (because Naruto decided to wake him up and bother him and make sure he didn't do something like go to Sakura's for breakfast) Naruto grabbed it and pulled it off, throwing the blanket across the room.

Sasuke cursed into his pillow when the cool air made contact with his bare skin.

"Ew, you're naked!" Naruto exclaimed, waving his hands in front of his face.

He rolled his eyes. "I'm wearing boxers you dumbass. Now get out of my room."

Naruto shrugged and left to go most likely to the kitchen and raid Sasuke's food.

Sasuke made a groan of protest when the sunlight peaked through his window. With a tired grunt and a yawn, he got off of his bed and went into the bathroom. He looked at his sleepy reflection in the mirror and scowled.

It was _not_ his day. Fine, it was his birthday, but really, it _so_ was not his day.

First he got barely any sleep, then Naruto came and woke him up (that freaking moron!), and then…

A small smile (yep, that's right) made its way onto his lips as he remembered what he had planned for this day, while he coming back home from his mission. Despite how much Sasuke was beginning to at least let people be _his_ friends, all he wanted for his birthday was maybe some dinner with Sakura (fine, maybe the pervert and the dobe could come too, but right after eating they _so_ had to leave!) and then maybe some clan restoring (full out romping).

Sasuke had decided he would propose to her that day.

He just needed a ring.

After putting some clothes on, Sasuke went down to his kitchen where he found Naruto sitting on the counter, swinging his legs back and forth while slurping down a cup of ramen. He another cup sitting beside the blond, and assuming Naruto had decided to for once in his life, be a bit helpful, and made the ramen for him, he went to grab it—

"Oi! What the hell?" Naruto hit him with the chopsticks he held. "That's mine!"

Sasuke stared at him dryly and hit him back with his fist, taking Naruto's chopsticks from his so that _he_ could eat.

As Sasuke ate, Naruto got off the counter to get himself more food. "So, Sasuke-teme, what are you doing today?" Naruto asked, rifling through the cabinets.

"I have to buy something," he said.

There. It was just a basic answer. Because he knew Naruto, and if Naruto found out he was trying to get a ring to give Sakura, the dobe would not shut up about it and would somehow get the _secret_ to Sakura before he could ask her the big question.

Naruto opened a box of cookies, looking kind of confused because he knew Sasuke didn't particularly like sweets. "What are you going to buy?" He ate a couple and then resisted taking more, after figuring out that the cookies were Sakura's.

Sasuke thought over the right answer.

"Jewelry."

"Why the heck are you shopping for jewelry?" Naruto inquired, looking at him oddly. He went to the fridge and poured some milk into a glass (because Sasuke apparently had some pet peeve that made him hate drinking directly out of the milk carton).

He figured there was no way to get out of the situation so he sighed and decided to just tell the truth, because hey, honesty's the best policy.

"I need a ring. I'm going to propose to Sakura."

Crash.

Sasuke glared at Naruto after glancing at the milky mess on his floor.

"You're going to clean that up, you know that, right?"

**&**

**-**

As Sasuke looked at ring after ring, claiming that they weren't good enough, Naruto slouched against a piece of glass, amusing himself by pressing his face against it and looking like a full out retard. Sakura was planning a surprise for Sasuke, when in turn it was gonna be _her_ with the surprise, Naruto mused.

It was now about five in the evening, thus they had been ring shopping for the past eight hours.

Time Naruto would _never_ get back…

Ugh.

"No, this one's not good enough."

The salesman who was the unfortunate, poor sucker who decided to ask Sasuke if he needed any assistance, let out a pathetic whine. "Sir, you've looked at every ring in out store—" He whimpered when Sasuke glared at him. "Perhaps you would like one custom made—"

"No, there's not enough time for that."

Sasuke turned to find Naruto and sighed when he saw the dobe making faces at the glass.

"Idiot…" He sighed. "Naruto, let's go."

"Huh?"

Naruto looked at the salesman pitifully and shrugged before jogging out of the store to catch up to the birthday boy. "So what now?" After getting over the initial shock of hearing holy crap, _the_ Sasuke Uchiha wanted to marry Sakura Haruno, Naruto allowed himself to be fully supportive of his best friend. "I'm sure Sakura-chan is gonna want a ring." He chuckled. "If you don't bother to get her one, she'll probably bash your head into a wall—"

"I know that!" Sasuke muttered.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and thought hard. He refused to wait any longer to propose to her. Now, it was just a matter of finding the perfect ring—

Naruto scratched his head. "Well, I've heard that some guys give their mother's or grandmother's rings when they want to propose," he suggested, a bit awkwardly since the matter of families and mothers was a little touchy for them two. "Why don't you do that?"

Sasuke thought over Naruto's idea as they walked back to the Uchiha district and then into his house.

"So what are you gonna do?" Naruto asked.

The Uchiha paid him no heed and immediately went up the stairs to get to his parents' old room. After Itachi had killed the clan, Sasuke declined the help the Sandaime had been offering him in cleaning up the estate and such. All his parents' stuff was stored away in their closet and in one corner of their old room. His mother's jewelry, he kept in a jewelry box that she told him was her mother's and since she didn't have a daughter of her own, it would go to his or Itachi's wife.

"Oi, Sasuke-teme—"

"I'm gonna use my mom's old ring," he declared.

After trifling through his mother's old things for about half an hour, he finally found the jewelry box; he opened it up and took out the engagement ring.

Naruto took it from him and examined it by the window, under the sunlight. "It's nice…" he mumbled. It was a white gold band with a princess cut diamond in the centre, and two smaller rubies on each side of it. He smiled at Sasuke and handed it back to him. "Sakura-chan will love it."

Sasuke nodded and took it. He then proceeded to leave Naruto behind again.

"H—Hey, Sasuke-teme, where are you going?" he sputtered.

"To Sakura's house so I could propose to her!"

Naruto's eyes widened when he heard the front door slam shut.

Oh.

Shit.

**&**

**-**

Tenten grinned deviously at Sakura who was doing some last minute decorations. The rosette haired girl was wearing a rather provocative dress, in her opinion.

"Nice dress, Sakura, is that your present for Sasuke, already?" Ino teased, speaking Tenten's thought for her.

Sakura stuck her tongue out at her.

She looked at the time and saw it was ten to six.

"Okay, I told Naruto to bring Sasuke-kun over at six," she told the people who were there. Sakura didn't want to push Sasuke on the whole 'being social' thing so the only people she invited were really close, like the former Rookie Nine, Team Gai, all their teachers, and some that they were both associated with like Shizune or Jiraiya or Konohamaru. "They'll probably be here soon so go hide and when he knocks on the door, I'll get it. When Sasuke-kun comes in you shout 'surprise'—"

"Oi, Sakura." She looked over to Kiba expectantly who was patting Akamaru on the head. "Akamaru says that Sasuke's right outside."

"Yes," Shino agreed. "My bugs are saying the same thing."

Sakura's eyes widened. "What?! Damnit, well then why the heck aren't you people hiding—" There was a knock on her door. Sakura cursed and muttered to her guests, "Okay, _now_ you hide!" After putting a smile on her face she went to open the door. "Hi Sasuke-kun—"

He stepped in, dropped onto one knee and grabbed her hands.

"Sakura will you marry me?"

Silence.

Lots of it.

Ino moved stood up from behind the couch and through confetti dully.

"…Surprise?"

Everyone else followed suit and Sasuke slowly found himself turning redder by the second, because damnit, everyone just saw him propose to his girlfriend.

A yellow flash came through the door.

"CRAP! Sakura-chan, he ran away from me! I swear—"

Naruto went ignored.

"D—Did you just…" Sakura pointed to the beautiful ring that Sasuke was holding out in front of her. "Y—You just proposed!" she exclaimed, eyes wide from shocked.

"Obviously," Ino said, rolling her eyes. "Now hurry up and say yes!"

Sakura turned around to glare at her. "I was getting to that you pig!"

Tenten snorted. "No you weren't, you were to busy being a lucky bitch… Er, not that we're jealous that you just got proposed to or anything…"

"Yeah…" Ino agreed.

Sakura chuckled at the odd way her friends showed their support (really, that's how they were. Hinata was the only one who knew when were the right times to _shut the hell up_). She looked back at Sasuke who was staring at the ground nervously.

"So?" he muttered, getting up and then sticking his hands (and the ring) back into his pocket.

"Of course I'll marry you!"

Pause.

"Great, now kiss her!" Kiba shouted, punching a fist into the air.

Akamaru barked his agreement.

And he did, dipping her and all, making a total show of it (Jiraiya was having a field day, finding some inspiration for the next volume of Icha Icha).

When he (finally, after _how freaking long_) took his lips off of hers, she smiled up at him and put a gentle hand on his face, cupping his cheek. She pecked him chastely on the lips.

"Happy birthday, Sasuke-kun."

-


	17. Most Important Meal

_The way to a man's heart is through his stomach…_

**17. Most Important Meal  
**note: a bit toned on the humor

**&**

**-**

_Dinner is the main meal of the day. It is usually eaten in the evening, or sometimes in the early afternoon._

Sasuke, though he would never ever admit it, enjoyed the weekly dinners that Team Seven had at Sakura's apartment.

He was not exactly sure of why, though. Perhaps it was because he got a chance to see Naruto (that stupid dobe), (the damn pervert) Kakashi, and Sakura (who no, everyone shut the hell up because he did not have any feelings for!). Or maybe he liked going there because Sakura's apartment smelled really nice like a light squirt of vanilla scented spray she had in her medicine cabinet (which he didn't rifle through). Or rather, it was that warm, refreshing, comforting feeling he got in his chest whenever they sat together, when Sakura would fill up their plates, when Kakashi would read his porn, when Naruto would compliment Sakura's cooking, and when Sasuke would watch all of them with a secret grin (because they were like a family).

He considered all those ideas.

And decided that none of those reasons were why he enjoyed the weekly dinners.

No.

Sasuke enjoyed the weekly dinners merely because Sakura was a good cook (it was probably in those female genes of hers) unlike the three of them.

Contrary to the belief that Sasuke evolved into a superb cook from having to live alone for so long, he was actually _terrible_. That was why he just ate his tomatoes as they were or some rice. Really, if Sasuke were capable of cooking, he wouldn't have gone with Naruto to eat ramen half as many times as he did.

Sakura reminded him of his mother, Sasuke decided, as he carefully watched her talk about the dessert she had prepared from them, courtesy of a recipe Shizune had given to her, while putting some of the food she made on Naruto's plate.

The four of them had dinner together every Monday whenever they were all in the village.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, I can't come to dinner next Monday," Naruto announced solemnly.

Sakura looked crestfallen. "What, but how come?"

He grinned back, and a small blush was seen on his cheeks. "Er… Well I have a date with Hinata-chan."

Sasuke noticed Sakura's eyes widen and her lips curve into a big smile.

"A _date_ with _Hinata-chan_!" Sakura clapped her hands cheerfully, squealing in the process. "Oh that's just _wonderful_. Naruto, do you have any plans yet?"

"Um, no—"

"Then it's settled, you're bringing her here for dinner."

Naruto blinked at her statement. "But I thought these were like our _team_ dinners…"

She shook her head and the grin on her face turned ugh, _motherly_.

"No, Naruto, these are _family_ dinners." Sakura immediately then began her squealing. "Its like, you're bringing Hinata-chan over to 'meet the family'!"

Sasuke brought a piece of chicken to his mouth, savoring the taste of a warm, home-cooked, absolutely delicious (though he'd never admit it) meal, which unfortunately, he only got to have once a week. Today, it seemed, Sakura cooked chicken and vegetable stir fry (which was so good she even got Naruto to eat it, considering the greens involved). It was salty, but not in a bad way, and held a small tang to it. She mixed in some extra egg noodles for Naruto's benefit, which she also boiled in hot chicken broth, rather than just plain water, telling them that it made the noodles more flavorful, which they had no complaints to.

He remembered the first time, when they were twelve, that they tried Sakura's cooking.

Naruto asked her to marry him.

And of course she punched him.

They continued to eat Sakura's chicken and vegetable stir fry, talking about random subject (well really, Sakura and Naruto were talking. Kakashi would look up from his porn every so often, smile and then make a comment, while Sasuke, being the man of few words that he was, only muttered a couple of things).

When they were finally done, Sakura put their plates all on top of each others and into the empty wok to make everything easier to hold.

"I'm gonna get the dessert!" she announced.

When the swinging door (they all hated that door because it went both ways and swung too much. They all had slightly broken noses to prove it) to the kitchen finally stopped movie, Kakashi closed his book and put it on the table.

"I think Sasuke has a crush on Sakura."

He twitched.

Naruto nodded in response. "I totally agree. Did you see the way he was looking at her all throughout dinner?"

"What—" Sasuke glared at them both. "She was sitting _right across from me_ you morons!"

They both donned secret smiles that Sasuke really did not like. Their grins only grew larger when Sakura walked into the room, carrying what looked like a strawberry-shortcake. She put it on the table and proceeded to cut all of them pieces. She smiled kindly at Sasuke when giving him his piece.

"Don't worry Sasuke-kun," she teased. "It's not too sweet, which is why, personally, I think it's a really great cake. See, I didn't put any sugar or anything so the sweetness is just the natural flavors from the strawberries and then I made my own whipped cream for the filling instead of that sugary kind from the stores that you don't like." When she noticed she forgot a plate for herself, she excused herself and went back to the kitchen.

"Aw well how _sweet_," Naruto mocked (pun intended). "Sakura-chan made the cake specially, just for you _Sasuke-kun_."

He tried to stab him with the cake knife.

**&**

**-**

_Lunch is a meal eaten in the middle of the day. It is supposed to be a light meal that kept one going until dinner came._

Sasuke knocked on the door to Sakura's apartment. They were gonna be going on a mission the next day so he thought that he could go over some details with her—no. He didn't care about the mission. Really, he just felt compelled to go see her. He had no idea _why_ he felt that way, but he felt it, and now he was standing in front of her door, waiting for her answer.

After a minute of waiting and receiving no response, Sasuke turned the doorknob, knowing it was open (he didn't go in at first because he actually had some common courtesy).

He stepped into the apartment and closed the door quietly.

"I'm so glad I found an angel, someone who was there when all my hopes fell! I wanna fly, looking in your eyes!"

Sasuke chuckled at her loud singing. From the sound of her voice, he could tell she was in the kitchen, probably cooking some lunch.

"Because you live and breathe, because you make me believe in myself when nobody else can help—" Sakura jumped when she saw Sasuke leaning on the doorframe of her kitchen, thus ceasing in her singing. "Holy crap!" Frowning out of embarrassment, she took a spatula and began hitting him with it. "Sasuke-kun, don't sneak up on me like that, damnit!"

He took the spatula and held it high over his head, knowing she wouldn't be able to reach it.

"Sakura, you're a kunoichi. I shouldn't be able to sneak up on you like that."

She shrugged, still a bit mortified, judging by the redness on her cheeks.

"Well I was having an off moment!"

"More like off key," he muttered. Her flush darkened even more and she turned around to resume whatever she was doing in the kitchen. Sasuke moved to one end of the counter and watched her mix a batter-like substance. "What are you doing?"

"Cooking, smartass," Sakura spat.

He rolled his eyes. "_What_ are you cooking?"

She beat the whisk against the side of the bowl to get the batter off of it. "Tempura." She smiled at him and threw an apron in his direction. "Ne, Sasuke-kun, if you help me cook I'll let you eat some of my tempura." Sasuke shrugged and went over to her (not taking the apron because it was pink). Her smile grew when he stood beside her, silently asking what he had to do. "Great!" she chirped. She put the bowl of tempura batter in front of him and a plate of shrimps, already prepared for cooking. "Just dip the shrimps in the batter and then put them in the oil."

While he followed her instructions, cooking their lunch, she prepared the sauce.

They both worked in what Sasuke saw as a comfortable silence (or well, it would have been a silence but Sakura was humming some song).

After finishing with the sauce, Sakura went to put it in the dining room that Sasuke had grown so accustomed to eating at, and then she set the table. She came back into the kitchen and leaned on the wall, staring at him with an odd smile on her face.

He busied himself with perfecting his attempts at cooking.

When the feel of her gaze on him became rather _annoyingly_ unbearable, he turned to look at her with a scowl.

"What?"

"Why are you here?" Sakura asked patiently, crossing her arms.

"Hn," he said in reply, because really, he too had no idea why he was there (he felt _compelled_ damnit).

Sasuke ignored her questioning stare and took the remaining pieces of tempura that were in the oiled pan, now a golden brown color, and put them on a plate. He turned off the stove and picked up the dish, handing it to Sakura.

"I was hungry."

"You are a total mooch." She giggled at the reply and sat down. Sakura put some rice on his plate, and then on her own.

The comfortable silence came again as they ate and Sasuke was a bit unnerved by the way that he for once felt so peaceful.

"I like your cooking," he stated. It was his explanation as to why he came to her apartment. There. "Your cooking…" Sasuke looked at the food, a nostalgic expression on his face. "You remind me of my mother." He blinked in surprise when a napkin made its way across his mouth, and looked at Sakura.

She was grinning back at him sheepishly.

"You had rice on your face," she explained, shrugging.

**&**

**-**

_Breakfast is the first meal of the day, and is usually eaten in the morning. It is eaten before daily activities, and is the most important meal of the day because it was meant to carry people through the large part of the day._

He had no idea how she did it. He had no idea how she seduced him into becoming hers. He had no idea why it happened either. Sasuke kind of wanted to blame what happened on alcohol, but there was no drinking involved (the only thing he had been drunk off of was her).

Sasuke looked up at the ceiling in Sakura's bedroom with tired eyes, finally opening them up, despite his musing telling him not to (because seeing really was believing, therefore if he saw a room which was damn well not his when he opened his eyes, that really meant that he did the unmentionables with Sakura).

So crap.

He slept with Sakura.

He looked to the side, expecting to find her bashing her head into her pillow because she often did that to herself when she was ashamed or frustrated (but part of him contradicted that she wouldn't be ashamed because she so totally wanted it), but she wasn't there.

With a frown, Sasuke pushed off the warm red covers and put on his shirt and boxers. He slowly opened the bedroom door and stepped into the hallway.

He approached the kitchen where once again, he heard Sakura singing (didn't she realize that she sucked?), wincing slightly from the light her stupid open windows provided (her room had curtains) and he was hiding under the covers.

The smell of cooked food reached his nose and he stopped at the dining room where he saw Sakura, putting a pot of tea down on a hot pad. She glanced up when she felt his presence, this time not so ignorant of senses, and flashed him a warm smile.

"Morning, Sasuke-kun," she greeted, going to sit where she usually did. "Come eat, I made breakfast."

He sat down silently because of course he would eat. He loved her cooking.

(And he was hungry from the previous night's activities.)

Sasuke ate some of the food with much vigor. It had been very long since he was able to have a decent breakfast. In the mornings, usually after waking up and changing, he would just grab a tomato or a slice of bread and run outside to do some training.

He glanced at her and saw that she barely touched her food. She was staring at nothing in particular, but her green eyes glazed over. Her lips were curled into a small smile as she rested her chin in the palm of her hand, her elbow on the table. Her rosette locks framed her heart-shaped face, completing what he saw as a masterpiece.

She was beautiful.

"…" He opened his mouth and found no words coming out, but the small movement still seemed to grab her attention. "Cook for me…"

Marry me.

"Make me breakfast in the mornings."

I want to wake up to you.

"I like your cooking."

I love you.

Sakura's smile grew, and she nodded.

-

I'm kinda hungry…


	18. You And Me

**18. You And Me  
**for Lt. RaIQ because I love you!  
Thank you for your dedication.

&

Sakura's eyes widened and she couldn't help but let out a girlish squeal. (Sure, she was a twenty-two-year-old woman reducing herself down to a giggly fan girl again but holy crap, was that her precious Sasuke-kun holding a guitar, looking like he was gonna sing a song for her?)

"Are you going to sing to me?!" she practically screamed, jumping around happily.

She hopped down onto his bed, sitting across from him, still unable to hold back her girlish laughter.

He rolled his eyes at her.

"That was the plan but you don't seem to be shutting up so I don't think so—"

"NO!" Sakura yelled, reaching out to try and stop him. "Sasuke-kun, you can just make a girl's dream come true and crush it! That's just _cruel_!"

"You dream of me _singing_ to you…?" he asked, staring at her dryly.

Sakura pursed her lips and shrugged, grinning sheepishly.

"Well _no_, not exactly, Sasuke-kun, but I'm day dreaming of it _now_!" She clapped her hands. "Since when could you play guitar?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I don't know, since I was a kid."

She frowned. "Well how come you never played for us?"

"I didn't want to," he replied frankly. Sasuke looked at the acoustic guitar in his hands with a nervous expression. "Look, never mind, maybe this was a bad idea—"

"No, no, no!" Sakura yelled, waving her arms. "Dreams, remember? You're not supposed to crush them!"

Sasuke let out a long, tired sigh. "Okay."

She immediately perked up.

"You're gonna sing to me?! Oh my god! Can I like, record this—"

"You're pushing it."

"Right."

Jokingly, she mock-zipped her lips shut and put her hands on her knees, eagerly staring at him. He put his fingers over some cords with one hand and used the others to pluck some strings. When he opened his mouth, he immediately shut it because _she was squealing again_. Sakura winced at the silence he provided and shrugged guiltily.

"Sorry! Really, that was the last time, I swear!"

She nodded her head rapidly.

"Totally a promise of the lifetime!"

He snorted, and started over with the music.

"_What day is it?_" Sasuke sang melodically, "_And in what month? This clock never seemed so alive. I can't keep up and I can't back down, I've been losing so much time… 'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to lose. And it's you and me and all other people, and I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you…_" He took a small breath and played some notes before continuing the song. "_One of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right. I'm tripping on words. You've got my head spinning. I don't know where to_ _go from here… 'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to prove. And it's you and me and all other people, and I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you…_"

Okay, so she was crying (really, it was inevitable).

Sakura wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater.

"_There's something about you now I can't quite figure out. Everything she does is beautiful. Everything she does is right…_ _'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to lose. And it's you and me and all other people, and I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you_…"

She smiled tearfully (waiting for him to finish so she could glomp him with a tight hug and never ever let him go).

"_And me and all other people with nothing to do, nothing to prove. And it's you and me and all other people, and I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you."_

Sasuke took a breath.

"_What day is it?"_ he repeated, _"And in what month? This clock never seemed so alive…"_

Finished with the song, he put the wooden guitar down on the bed and in an instant, found himself on the floor with Sakura sobbing into his chest, the wind knocked out of him totally (damn that girl and her stupid teacher and their stupid, stupid, _stupid_, inhuman strength).

"Ugh…" he grunted, a bit painfully. "Sakura, you're heavy…"

Her head immediately snapped up (tear-faced galore) and she smacked him. She would have looked threatening if she weren't holding back some tears and smiling. "You just did the most unbelievably sweet thing that I'm probably going to brag about for years and then you go and call me _heavy_?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and abruptly shoved her off of him (causing a string of curses to come from her delicate mouth) and he reached into his pocket to get something. He took out a ring and then tossed it over carelessly to Sakura.

"There. Keep it."

She blinked.

And blinked again.

Until realization settled in, as she examined it under the light and saw a small inscription of something along the lines of 'SS' on the inside of it, and said it being _an_ _engagement ring_. The tears she tired to hold back then streamed down on her face and she lunged at Sasuke again (damnit, he was _almost_ sitting up!), knocking him over once more.

"Stupid… woman…" Sasuke groaned out hoarsely.

He coughed a bit and then smirked at her (sexily).

"Well?"

Sakura bent down to kiss him over and over again on his cheeks and then his lips, meeting his between each word. "Of course I will marry you, dumbass!" Sakura hugged him tightly, leaning on his chest comfortably. They stayed like that for a moment and she smiled up at him cheekily, poking him in the chest.

"You _sang_ to me."

She squealed.

-

Okay so I've seen pictures with Sasuke and a guitar…  
(Well I think they were actually bass guitars but WHATEVER.)  
You so _wish_ Sasuke-kun would sing to _you_.

Song: "You And Me" by Lifehouse  
Really, anything acoustic always sounds romantic.


	19. Plan B

**19. Plan B**

**&**

**-**

As Sakura watched Naruto (er, Rokudaime-sama) twirl around his wife (duh, Hinata-chan) on the dance floor (they were at some celebration dinner for Naruto becoming Hokage), and felt tears gather up in her eyes, despite the fact that she _really_ hated to cry. She hated crying. Especially when said action was only done because it totally sucked ass to see everyone _else_ lucking in love, when she was still single. Drowning her sorrows, she raised the glass of champagne up to her lips and emptied it of its contents.

Sasuke glanced at her but withheld any looks of concern.

"What's your problem?"

She sighed and leaned her elbow on the table, putting her chin against her palm.

"Sasuke—" Ever since he returned to Konoha when they were sixteen, six years ago, she no longer used the suffix he had grown used to, "—if like, we're forty, and both of us are still single, could you marry me, please?"

He was rather positive that it was the alcohol talking.

"Or well, maybe thirty, instead. I _do_ want to have a baby. If I'm forty, hell, who knows if I'll still be able to do that, right?"

_Definitely_ the alcohol.

"So actually, I think twenty-five will be the best." Sakura smiled at him, a new glass of champagne in hand. "Don't you agree, Sasuke-kun?"

His eyes widened a fraction at the sudden reappearance of the suffix, thus confirming that she was _so_ not sober.

Sasuke sighed and stared at her dryly.

"Sakura, we'll be twenty-five in three years."

"Huh? Well then we might as well just get married now!" she decided, clapping her hands. She suddenly (drunkenly) latched onto his arm like she did when she was still a total fan girl. "I think it'll be awesome Sasuke-kun. Twenty-four—"

"You said twenty-_five_."

"Twenty-three is the perfect age to be my back up husband!"

"You're drunk," he stated, pushing her off of him and letting out a tired sigh.

She blinked back at him. "W—What? No I'm not. A bit tipsy, okay fine, but I'm not _drunk_."

"Right." Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Sakura, you basically just proposed to me, obviously, you are drunk."

"I'm not drunk, Sasuke-kun!" she denied, starting to get kind of mad.

"You are—"

Sakura whacked him on the back of the head. "Oh would you just shut the hell up and say you'll marry me?!"

He rubbed the sore spot that she hit and scowled. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You're being annoying!" she growled. "Just say you wanna marry me! You totally _know_ you do!"

Sasuke snorted. "No, I _don't_ actually. _You're_ annoying. And bossy. And stop proposing to me."

She looked appalled by his comment. "_I_ am bossy? That's rich coming from he who has the superiority complex!" Sakura huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. She turned in her seat to look away from him, twisting her dress uncomfortably in the process. "And I'm not drunk!" She drank some more champagne. "And I'm not asking you to _marry me-marry me_…" Sakura shrugged and pouted cutely, biting on her lower lip. "I'm only asking you to be my back up husband…"

They sat in silence.

Eventually (after five minutes) Sakura turned back to face him (because her dress was twisted and she was really uncomfortable).

"So…?" She bent over slightly to poke him (yep, she was buzzed). "Will you _please_ by my back up husband?" She poked him again, smiling. "Come on!"

"Hn."

Sasuke paused (to for some reason actually think over the insane idea).

"What's the age would we get married at?"

"Twenty-two," she replied, giggling.

Sasuke rolled his eyes (since she changed the age _again_). "You're aware that we are twenty-two _now_, right?" he asked dryly.

She gasped (and actually looked surprised about it) and threw one hand up to cover his gaping mouth.

"We _are_?" she questioned, sounding genuinely shocked. Sakura shrugged and grabbed his hands abruptly. "Well, Sasuke-kun, that settles it, we have to get married _now_!"

And with that (evil, stupid, horrendous, terrible) super strength of hers, she dragged him away.

(To get hitched of course.)

-


	20. Stuck Onto You

So I just got back from my short vacation to Montreal. I loved  
it there! I thought it was SOO pretty. But I concluded that the fair  
majority of the shops (in the area I stayed in) were book stores  
sex stores, and food stores. But still, I thought the place was AWESOME.  
Anywhoo, now that I have my lappy top back, I shall do some updates!

**-**

**20. Stuck Onto You  
**

&

"_So I am bored_," Ino announced over the phone. "_And dear Sakura, you are failing to entertain me._"

Sakura rolled her eyes as she put some laundry into the machine at Sasuke's house for him, squishing the phone between her ear and her shoulder. He didn't _ask_ her to do his laundry for him, it's just… well he never actually used a machine because the one time he did, he flooded the entire place, and since Sakura had just moved in with him, she thought it would be a nice thing to do, to clean the house for him.

She had already cleaned the kitchen (there was not much to do since he had no food… But he _did_ have a whole load of dishes), along with the halls.

At the moment, she was doing their room.

She ignored Ino's mindless banter (Ino always called her when she was working at the flower shop because she claimed she had nothing at all to do; work?) and smiled at the thought.

_Their_ room.

(As in _holy crap they shared a room now_!)

"—_Ne, Sakura, are you even listening to me_?!"

Sakura shook her head, careful of the phone she was barely holding up. "Yeah, yeah, I heard what you said Ino. Temari was in Konoha and 'totally hogging up all of Shikamaru's time'," Sakura repeated dully. She pulled a pair pants out of the laundry load (which was all put in the basket that _she_ brought over, since dear Sasuke-kun was no where near the OCD most thought he was. He left his clothes _everywhere_. She had to pick everything up from the floor damnit!), and put her hands in the pockets to fish anything out.

When they were younger and she was teaching Naruto how to use a washing machine, he got so depressed afterwards when he realized he left his Ichiraku ramen coupons in his pockets and they got wet and faded.

She looked down suspiciously when she felt a box made out of something soft, and then pulled it out.

And opened it.

To find a ring.

"Oh my god…"

Ino paused in her complaining about Shikamaru and Temari spending all their time together and her voice went concerned.

"_Sakura, what's wrong_?"

"I, um, oh my god, I—Ino, I just found a _ring_!" Sakura muttered, taking the ring out of the case. She thought it was beautiful, despite the simplicity of it. On the inside, her name, 'Sakura', was inscribed. "A _ring_, Ino! An _engagement_ ring!"

The voice on the other line sounded rather shocked. Ino gasped and then began to giggle.

"_Well put it on_!"

Sakura almost dropped the phone.

"Are you kidding me?! That'll ruin the entire surprise for when he _does_ propose to me!" Sakura protested.

From her place at the Yamanaka Flower Shop, Ino was obviously rolling her eyes. "_Well when he does propose to you—which he so, totally will—you're not gonna be surprised anyway because you already found the ring smartass! Now put it on!_"

Sakura gave up on her 'protesting' and slipped the ring onto the fourth finger of her left hand. It felt a bit tight going on (sigh, that meant they were gonna have to get it redone, or at least make the wedding ring a bit bigger) but with her super crazy strength (and huge desire to see the ring on her), Sakura got it down to he base of her finger.

She raised her hand up to the light to see it better—

"_Oi, Forehead! How does it look on you?_"

"Amazing," Sakura said, breathless. "But it's a bit tight."

Ino chuckled. "_Well, I'm sure you'll deal with it if you like it. But Sakura, I would suggest putting it back now so he doesn't know you've been meddling with it_."

Sakura held the phone between her shoulder and her head again as she used her right hand to pull off the ring.

Or well, _try_ to pull off the ring.

She gaped down at her finger.

"Oh my god, Ino, the ring's not coming off…"

"_What do you mean, not coming off?_" Ino asked, sounding a bit nervous.

"I mean it's _stuck_!" Sakura yelled, shaking her hand in hopes that the ring would fly off or something. "The ring which I am not supposed to be wearing is stuck on my finger—"

SLAM.

Sakura's eyes widened even more and she grew even more frantic.

"Oh _damnit_, Sasuke-kun is home!"

Ino had the gall to laugh at her misfortune. "_Okay, I know that this will be awkward, but by any chance, do you two have any lube_?"

"Ino!" Sakura hissed, hearing Sasuke's footsteps, most likely going to the kitchen. She felt her cheeks reddening as she answered. "No, we go… _all freaking natural_!"

"_Oh_…" her so-called best friend replied. "_Well… I have no idea what to do. Try some lotion or something_—" There was a ringing sound in the background, meaning someone had just arrived to the flower shop. "—_Damn! Sorry, Sakura, I have to go now. I've got a customer here. Call me back later!_" And with that, Ino hung up on her.

Sakura put the phone down and began to pace—

"Sakura!" Sasuke called out.

DAMNIT.

He probably knew she was home since the house was a lot cleaner.

"Yeah…?" she yelled back weakly. Shoving her hands into the pockets of her pants, she walked over to their new room and smiled at him nervously. "Hi Sasuke-kun…"

"You cleaned," Sasuke stated, staring at her blankly.

"Uh huh."

Very, very fast, Sakura pulled her hands out of her pockets and put them behind her back, struggling with the right to take the ring _the hell off_! The yanking motions she was making though, were causing her to look a bit weird to her beloved soon-to-be fiancé.

Sasuke looked at her with one eyebrow quirked at her odd movement.

"Sakura, what are you doing?"

"Nothing!" she exclaimed, still trying to take off the ring. She knew there was sweat on her forehead as she chewed on her lower lip. "Nothing at all is wrong Sasuke-kun!"

"I didn't ask if anything was wrong," Sasuke said smartly.

He began stepping towards her and Sakura went the opposite way until damnit, she backed into the door ("WELL WHY THE HELL DID WE CLOSE THE STUPID THING?!" Inner Sakura screamed) and Sasuke was very close to her (and her hands were still doing their thing behind her back).

"I asked what you were doing."

"Oh," was all she could say. Sakura swallowed hard, not meeting his eyes because really, he was a bit too close for comfort. "Well um, I wasn't doing anything."

"Then why are your hands behind your back?" he asked.

"Because…" Sakura smiled weakly. "Um… Because they're dirty… yes, they're dirty from dirt, you know, cleaning… and well, I don't want to make you see their um, dirtiness and all, er—"

Sakura yelped when he grabbed both her wrists from behind her back and brought them to the front. She could only cringe at the sight of his eyes widening in realization about _what was on her finger_. Slowly, he let her go.

"Where did you find that?"

"I was doing your laundry," she squeaked, hiding her hands in her pockets again. "And I was checking the pockets of your pants before I washed them… and I found the box…"

"And you opened it," he states, more so than asked.

She nodded and then returned her gaze to the floor (because it was so pretty and clean, thanks to her!).

"Pretty much…"

"I see." Sasuke lifted her chin to make her face him properly. "Well, I might as well say it now." He cleared his throat. "Sakura, will you marry me?"

Her eyes widened, because for some reason, the proposal still shocked her since _she jumped on him_ and started kissing him over and over again.

"Of course I'll marry y—"

Before she could finish her sentence, he pushed her back against the door and claimed her lips with his own in a heated kiss.

Finally, after pulling away because they heard the phone ringing (probably Ino), they both stood their silently, and if she wasn't still (for some reason) hiding her hands, she would probably be twiddling her thumbs nervously.

Sakura smiled awkwardly.

"So um, you need to get the ring resized…"

-

Also, I have concluded that this will be the second last shot.  
Therefore, ONE left only!


	21. Kiss The Cook

HI EVERYBODY! Sorry, I know I haven't updated this in like, _months_.

-

**21. Kiss the Cook  
**for everyone!  
Because I love you all!

&

-

"Nice apron. It's most certainly…"

Naruto sniggered.

"Masculine."

He snickered again.

"Very masculine, indeed—"

Abruptly, he ducked the well aimed butcher knife that would've hit him. Naruto glared at Sasuke when he got back up straight, but struggled to keep the angry look on his face when he once again examined the apron that his best friend was wearing.

"Can you _really_ blame me for making fun of it?" Naruto asked, grinning sheepishly. "It's pink. It's frilly. It's—"

"It's Sakura's."

Naruto shrugged. He went around the counter and hopped on it while Sasuke took things out of the fridge and put them on the island in the centre of the kitchen. Curious as to what the Uchiha was planning, Naruto watched him carefully, with one raised eyebrow.

Hm…

Eggs, flour—

"Are you making _ramen noodles_?!"

—butter, baking power—

"Oh…"

Naruto's face dropped in slight depression when he realized that Sasuke was _not_ going to be making any ramen noodles. Instead of guessing, he looked around on the counter he was sitting on and found a small piece of cardboard with dark blue, feminine scribbles on it.

…

**_Itachi and Sasuke's Super Duper Chocolate Birthday Cake _**

**_Ingredients:  
_**_- 3/4 cup of (unsweetened) Cocoa powder  
- 1 cup of boiling water  
- 1/2 cup of butter  
- 2 cups of sugar  
- 3 eggs  
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract  
- 1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour  
- 1 1/2 tsp. of baking soda  
- 1/4 tsp. of salt  
- 3/4 cup of milk  
- 1/4 cup of dairy sour cream _

**_Directions:  
_**_1. Heat oven to 350F. Grease three 9 inch baking pans. Line bottoms with wax paper. Grease and flour the wax paper. Mix the cocoa powder with the boiling water in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool.  
2. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating them well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract. Gradually add the cocoa mixture and beat well.  
3. Stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add alternately with milk and sour cream to the butter mixture, and then beat it until blended. Pour the batter into prepared pans.  
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and place them on the wire racks. Carefully peel off the wax paper. Cool completely. Frost as desired. _

_… _

Naruto smiled whimsically after looking at the recipe card. It had a few oil stains on it, and the words 'Itachi' and 'Sasuke' were both scrawled on by the owners of the names in crayons, the latter of them having a few backwards letters.

"Did you used to bake this with your mom and Itachi?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke shook his head.

"No. She made them by herself since she didn't quite trust us in the kitchen. She made this every birthday."

The blond boy frowned in confusion.

"I thought you hated sweets…"

"I do."

Naruto decided to drop the subject before Sasuke began to lose whatever mood got him to wear the pink apron.

"So why are you making a cake?" Naruto asked, hoping off of the counter. He grinned evilly and tugged at one of the light pink ribbons. "'Cause you know Sasuke-teme, it's not everyday you suddenly turn into Mr. Househusband Uchiha."

At the word 'husband', Naruto saw Sasuke freeze.

It was for a split second but Naruto damn well _saw it_.

His blue eyes narrowed immediately because _Sasuke-teme_ was Sakura-chan's boyfriend. In fact, the Uchiha had held that position since some few months after his return to Konoha when they were sixteen, and the three years later to that day.

"What are you planning, Uchiha?" Naruto hissed, getting protective of precious Sakura-chan.

Sasuke scowled at Naruto and fidgeted, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"None of your business dobe."

In an instant, Naruto jumped on Sasuke, grabbed whatever was in Sasuke's pocket and leapt to the other side of them room. With a triumphant grin (for having done all that without getting himself killed on the spot), Naruto looked at whatever he grabbed and then dropped it.

"YOU IDIOT!" Sasuke yelled, taking his possession back.

Now in Sasuke's hands was a ring.

An engagement ring.

For _Sakura. _

He knew it was going to happen. _Everyone_ knew it was going to happen. Tsunade was so sure it was going to happen, that even with her bad luck, she made bets about it happening.

Sasuke was going to propose.

For some reason, as much as Naruto wanted to give Sasuke some sort of lecture about being a good husband, all that came to mind was—

"WELL ABOUT FREAKING TIME YOU ASSHOLE!"

Sasuke frowned and then went back to the baking.

With Sasuke ignoring him (most likely trying to figure out how he wanted to do that whole 'proposal' thing) Naruto observed his best friend even more, stifling his laughter while seeing Sasuke mix batter and break eggs and pour stuff. He smiled, thinking that maybe Sakura wasn't going to be so screwed over after all.

"So how are you going to do it?" Naruto asked casually.

Sasuke had put the ring on the counter (perhaps for inspiration) so Naruto took it (this time without getting beat up) for some further examination.

"Do what?" he replied dumbly.

The blond rolled his blue eyes then held the ring up high, under the light.

"How are you gonna _propose_ to Sakura-chan?"

Sasuke shrugged and settled for ignoring anything else Naruto said.

"So do you think she's gonna say yes?"

Ignore.

"Probably not. Who wants to marry _you_?"

Ignore.

"Okay, bad question, fine, but why would she? You're a bastard!"

Ignore.

"Hm… Well can I be the best man?"

Ignore.

"Oh cool, you'll get to have a stag! I can get strippers!"

_Ignore_.

While continuing to ignore the blond and his inane chatter, Sasuke poured the cake batter into a pan.

"So why are you making a cake? Are you already preparing yourself to be a whipped little house husband?" Naruto continued to mock.

Sasuke turned his head to glare at Naruto. With a scowl, he flung the spatula he was using to scrape the batter off of the sides of the bowl, effectively hitting Naruto in the face and getting the thick goop on his cheeks. He couldn't help but smirk at the blonde's misfortune.

"YOU BASTARD!"

And with that, Naruto began throwing everything he could find on his side of the counter, in Sasuke's direction while the Uchiha put the cake in the oven.

_Everything_.

Including the ring.

-

-

As Sasuke put away the last of the dishes he used and then washed and tried, in order to make a cake for Sakura (okay, she _loved_ chocolate—duh, she was female—so he thought that if he made her a really good chocolate cake, it would help with the coaxing in making her say _yes_), Naruto sat on the counter, wiping his face of any batter that may have still been there.

"Oi, dumbass, where'd you put the ring?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto shrugged from where he was not sitting on a bar stool.

"Um, it's on the counter. By where I was sitting when I was throwing stuff at you—Oh…" Naruto gulped. "Oh…"

"Oh?"

Naruto swallowed nervously and thanked the gods for sparing him for a few minutes since apparently Sasuke had yet to realize Naruto threw the ring in the oven.

"Um…"

Sasuke looked at the blond, frightening Naruto a bit.

"I THINK IT'S IN THE OVEN! OH CRAP! I THINK IT'S IN THE _CAKE_!"

"Naruto…"

He smiled awkwardly.

"Yes teme?"

"You better run."

"I'm on it!"

-

-

Half an hour after Naruto's confession, Sakura got home. The first thing she noticed was the amazingly sweet aroma in the air. It was thick and chocolaty and reminded her of when she was a little girl and she and her mother used to bake cakes together to greet her father when he would come back from long missions.

So she was really confused.

Who the heck could have been baking?

"What the hell…"

Immediately, she rushed to the kitchen where she saw an brown cake with no icing on it, and Naruto and Sasuke both staring at it intently, the former holding an ice pack to his cheek.

"What are you guys doing?" Sakura asked, dropping her bag by the wall. She went to the cupboards and got some plates and forks, along with a cake knife. "And who made us a cake?"

Naruto, despite his bruised jaw, sniggered at the question.

"Sasuke-teme."

Luckily, Sakura put the plates down before Naruto answered because she would have dropped them if she didn't.

"_Sasuke-kun_?" Sakura repeated. She looked at her boyfriend curiously. "_You_ can bake?"

Being Sasuke, he crossed his arms over his chest and smirked smugly.

"Hn…"

_Well what can I say? _

Sakura giggled and cut a piece off the cake for herself, not bothering with the other two.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun, this looks _really_ good!" Sakura declared poking her fork into the cake.

Naruto's eyes widened.

"Wait, Sakura-chan—"

She put the chunk she scooped out into her mouth and began to chew.

The boys both cringed, awaiting the inevitable.

Sakura swallowed and looked at them oddly.

"Okay, what's up?" she asked, poking her fork in again.

And hitting something hard.

(Sigh…

She _knew_ Sasuke wouldn't be that good of a cook.)

She smiled at him kindly.

"Uh oh, it looks like someone dropped an egg shell into the batter, Sasuke-kun," Sakura chided lightly.

She went to take it out but was surprised to find a—

Ring.

Sakura sucked in a breath.

"Oh my god…"

Sasuke froze.

"I—It was Naruto's fault!"

The boy in question blanched.

Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Its Naruto's fault you're proposing to me?"

Sasuke bristled.

"I'm not proposing!"

She quirked the other eyebrow.

"Oh, so you were trying to choke me with the ring in my cake?"

Sasuke swallowed uncomfortably.

"No! I…"

He watched as the corners of her lips lifted into a small smile.

"Okay. Yeah. I'm proposing."

"Well…" Naruto, still in the kitchen with them (just going unnoticed), decided to make himself known as he took some of the cake (since now he knew where the ring was). "Technically, you're actually _not_ proposing because to actually be proposing, I think you need to say the words. All you did was give her the ring… Wait no. You didn't even do _that_!"

Sakura giggled and Sasuke blushed.

"Fine!"

He glared at Naruto and yanked the ring away from Sakura.

"Will you marry me, Sakura?"

Sakura's smile widened and she kissed him on the cheek.

"Of course."

Naruto frowned when the engaged couple began…

Kissing.

Heatedly.

And groping.

And—

"I think I'm gonna be sick…"

-


	22. Waking Up in Vegas

**for:** the blanket! Happy (early) birthday! I posted this so you'd read it before you got drunk. :D  
**note:** the proposal is peripheral but it WAS indecent!  
**disclaimer: **don't own Naruto

…

**22. Waking Up in Vegas  
(except not)**

…

Sakura hadn't meant to find him.

She stopped hoping for anything with Sasuke so long ago, and meeting him on an overnight stay on what she called her 'medical tour' was an accident. Tsunade, no longer the Hokage, had taken over Sakura's work at the hospital, allowing her apprentice to travel and learn new techniques, conditions, medicines and so on. She'd been away from Konoha for months and not once had the prospect of meeting up with Sasuke crossed her mind.

Much less the idea of _marrying_ him.

Ugh. She was so screwed.

"You took advantage of me, you bastard!"

Sasuke was almost offended. He simply rolled his eyes with a snort, his silent way of uttering a 'bitch, _please_'.

Sakura bristled and threw a pillow at him. "Yes, you did! I was _drunk_ – _very_ drunk and _you took advantage of me_!"

"I did not take advantage of you," Sasuke denied flatly. "You were consenting."

Her cheeks flushed, from embarrassment or from anger, Sasuke would not know, and she slapped his arm. "BECAUSE I WAS DRUNK! _DRUNK_, SASUKE, _DRUNK_ – AS IN _NOT IN MY RIGHT MIND_!"

"Hn."

Sakura shrieked for the nth time and she swiped at the marriage certificate sitting innocently on the floor. She counted to ten in her head and pictured a box, putting all her angry thoughts in it, however soon after the box was full, she pictured herself bashing Sasuke's head in with it. Sakura shook her head, trying to get rid of those thoughts – or at least save them for later.

Fortunately she was still dressed, meaning they hadn't consummated the marriage.

"Okay. It's okay. We just have to get this annulled," she stated, looking around the room for her jacket. She would then head straight home to Kakashi (er, _Hokage-sama_, she hastily corrected) to have the union terminated—

Oh. Crap.

"I am married to a missing-nin from my own village," Sakura whispered to herself, utterly horrified. With a small glance at Sasuke, it all fully sank in. "I am married to an _international criminal_. OH, MY GOD, MY LIFE IS OVER. IT IS_ OVER_."

Sasuke frowned at her tirade, offended. "Oi—"

"What is _wrong_ with you?!" she yelled, hitting him once again. "You bastard! I can't believe you _married _me!"

He grabbed her wrist. "You weren't exactly complaining last night."

"BECAUSE I WAS DRUNK." Furiously, Sakura pulled away, and kicked him instead. "_DRUNK_, DAMMIT!" With a tortured moan, she threw herself onto the bed, clutching a pillow. She buried her face in it and began to mutter curses.

Somewhat hurt, Sasuke's frown only grew. "Does being married to me bother you that much?"

Slowly, Sakura raised her head and glared at him. "Don't try the sad act, Sasuke. It won't work." And immediately, his frown turned into a scowl for having been caught. Dammit. "And it's not that it _bothers_ me, though it does, it's… ugh, _you took advantage of me_—"

"I did _not_ take advantage of you," he repeated. "Seriously. If anything, you took advantage of me." Sasuke had the gall to look _traumatized_ or something. "Forcing me to marry you the way you did—"

"WHAT?!" Sakura gawked at him. "_EXCUSE ME_?!"

Smirking, Sasuke grabbed a few Polaroid pictures off the table and held them out to her tauntingly. They were taken by the one of the random people who attended their little wedding (who was likely a fellow drunk like Sakura). The merry woman handed the photos to him after Sakura ran back down the aisle, calling him 'Haruno Sasuke', laughing about it, and declaring there was a marriage in need of consummation.

"Give me those!" Sakura ordered, grabbing them.

She sputtered at the first picture, in which she was _dragging_ a rather reluctant and perturbed looking Sasuke down to the minister. The next was of Sasuke helping her stand up during what was likely the 'I do's. The last was of Sakura joyfully showing off her ring and marriage certificate, standing next to Sasuke, who was staring at her dully.

Seeing the pictures, Sakura concluded that Sasuke was likely… drunk as well (or something) and that no onetook advantage of anyone.

They were _both_ at fault, if anything.

"You pretty much forced me down the aisle, Sakura."

"SHUT. UP." Sakura put the pictures on the nightstand and looked at him pleadingly. "Well… _what are we going to do_?!"

He shrugged and snorted. Tch, like he cared.

"Sasuke!" she yelled. "Don't act like this doesn't bother you—"

"It doesn't."

Sakura stared at him completely unsure of what to say to the boy she hadn't seen in so long. The one she used to love, the one she chased after for _years_, the one she eventually gave up on. He was her first love and first heartbreak and she didn't want to see him again – that would mean falling once more and _that_ would mean having her heart broken once more and she could _not_ deal with that.

"I…" Sakura shook her head. "Yeah, I don't understand."

He approached her and Sakura crawled back instinctively. "It means I want to marry you, stupid." Sasuke paused, thinking over his words. "Or I wanted to. I'm married to you already." The words felt nice to say, not that he would admit that.

Sakura gaped. "But… Er… Uh…" Sakura flailed anxiously. "So we stay married – then what? I might not be going back to Konoha for a good while, but travelling around with a _wanted international criminal_ is sort of, you know, _bad_!"

"Love will conquer all."

If it was possible, her jaw dropped further and she was sure she looked ridiculous. "_WHAT_?!"

Sasuke somehow managed to look completely nonchalant. "It's what you said yesterday. I brought that point up before you made me marry you—"

"OI. IDID NOTHING OF THE SORT."

"—and that's what you said." Sasuke gazed at the ring on her hand and felt something flutter in his chest.

"Love will conquer all," she murmured, deep in thought. "Okay." Regaining her composure, Sakura looked at him with a levelled stare. "If you can keep up with me," he snorted but Sakura ignored him, "_if you can keep up with me as I travel_, we can make this work."

Not quite meeting her eyes, Sasuke gave her a single nod. "Aa." Then he smirked. "If you can make an _international criminal_," the word came out mockingly, "marry you, I think you can make a relationship work."

She twitched. "I did _not_ make you do anything."

Sasuke's smirk only grew. "Hey, I'm the only one who actually remembers last night."

"HA! SO YOU_ DID _TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ME—"

Sakura was promptly shut up by Sasuke's lips on hers. Annoying woman.

-


	23. Love Letters

**23. L O V E L E T T E R S**

-

"I'M GONNA BE LATE. CRAP, CRAP, CRAP!" Sakura ran out of the bathroom and picked up a random dress shirt. "WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME UP?!"

"Bad day for Caesar, four letters," Sasuke replied instead of an actual answer.

Sakura paused as she buttoned up her shirt to think of the right word, no longer worrying about being late. Usually, if Sasuke was reading one of the clues for the crossword aloud, it meant he needed some assistance.

"Ides," she replied eventually.

"Hn." He scrawled the letters in their respective boxes.

"Give me another one!" Sakura ordered with a grin. She scurried over to their (her) closet to pick out a skirt. She pulled out two. "Gray tweed or black pencil?" she asked, holding them out to Sasuke. "Pick!"

"Black. Author 'Lewis', seven letters."

Sakura pursed her lips. "Not sure, to be honest," she murmured, pulling the skirt on, "It could be Lewis 'Carroll', I suppose, but it could also be 'Matthew' Lewis..." She smiled. "Ah, screw it, let's skip it." Crawling onto the bed, Sakura pulled back the covers and cuddled against Sasuke. He noticed her hands twitching, itching to take the pen and paper from him, so he held them out with a sigh. Eagerly, she took snatched them away. "Thank you! I love you!"

He snorted. "I'm sure you do, but weren't you freaking out about being late?"

"...irrelevant. Anyway—anatomical lump, four letters," she read. Sakura grinned. "Oh, I know! It's n—"

"—node."

Sakura glared at him. "Sweetie, _shush_," she ordered, "Sakura does not like help, remember?"

He frowned. "It's _my_ crossword puzzle."

Sakura sighed. "Why can't you be like Naruto? Just look at the pictures and give—"

"Your shift starts in twenty minutes," he pointed out. Sasuke tugged on the paper. "Give it."

"No!" she whined when he held it over her head. "I want it, Sasuke!"

"What are you—_five_?" he mocked.

"...SHARING IS CARING."

"Tch." Sasuke waved the paper tauntingly. Eventually, when she served him a nice jab in his gut, Sasuke relented and gave it back. "You don't know how to share," he grumbled. "Shikamaru says you steal all the good cases at the hospital. He says people say you have ice in your veins. They call you the Nazi, apparently."

Sakura beamed with pride. "Oh, I know."

"...they call you the _Nazi_ and you work in _paediatrics_."

"...irrelevant." Sakura glanced at the time. "Fine, we'll finish it _together_." Sasuke didn't bother to roll his eyes even though he knew that 'together' meant Sakura would let him peer over her shoulder and that was it. "Now—adult elver, three letters." Sakura was about to clap when she got the answer, but decided to include her boyfriend. "Sasu-chan, do you know the answer."

He raised an eyebrow at her effort. "Eel," he replied slowly, as if afraid she would hit him for daring to intrude her crossword time (though really, it was _his_ crossword time).

Sakura kissed him on the cheek and patted his head after adding E-E-L to the puzzle. "Good job!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Did you pack lunch?" he asked before she could look at another word.

"Uh..." Sakura shrugged and smiled nervously. "No?"

"Go pack lunch." At her pout, Sasuke shook his head. "I feel like I'm dealing with a child."

Sakura scowled. "Hey!"

"Well you're the one who always complains about the cafeteria food being _too fattening_," Sasuke argued. "Then you don't end up eating. That's not healthy, _Dr. Haruno_."

The use of her occupation _against_ her made her resolve waver. Sakura sighed and got up, smoothing the wrinkles out of her clothes. "Have I told you lately how much you suck, Sasuke?" she asked rhetorically while gathering some things and stuffing them in her purse.

Sasuke smirked as he worked on the crossword. "That's not what you said last night." He handed it to her and finally got up. "I'm going to shower."

Sakura nodded and kissed him again. "I'll see you tonight, then." When he went to the bathroom, Sakura grabbed her bag and went to the kitchen. While rummaging through the pantry for something to take with her (she was too lazy to make a sandwich or wrap), Sakura glanced down at the crossword clues. "Light you may go on, five letters." Sakura settled for grabbing a few pieces of fruit from the bowl on the counter as her lunch when she came to her answer. "Oh, green!"

She was about to scribble a G when she noticed the space filled in. She scowled, seeing an M where the G should be and turned to the bathroom to yell at Sasuke.

"M-A-R-R-Y—what the hell, ugh!" She stayed irritated for a moment before her eyes widened and she looked at the next few lines.

M A R R Y  
M E  
S A K U R A  
?

-

-

-

"_OH, MY GOD_!"

Sasuke heard her scream as he turned off the shower. "So slow," he grumbled, drying himself off.

He expected her to come barging into the bathroom to express her shock with flailing arms and incomplete sentences, so at the silence following her loud exclamation and the sound of the door closing, Sasuke was a bit confused.

Fearful of rejection, he went to the kitchen, only to find it empty. The crossword, however, was lying on the counter with Sakura's favourite purple pen on top.

Warily, Sasuke picked the paper up and scanned the puzzle.

Y E S

Though he was happy, Sasuke couldn't help but feel rather worried. If it took her that long to find the proposal, it'd probably take her _hours_ to realize he had put the ring on her finger while she was sleeping!

He groaned. "Annoying woman."

-


	24. Building Blocks

**Note:** I know it's been two years since I added anything to this anthology but this idea came to my mind. On another note, I apologize, but I have no idea what a pasta arm is, but kudos to anyone who knows what I was watching that got the image of one stuck in my head.  
**Warning:** Sasuke's kind of… sweet.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

* * *

The entirety of their relationship was atypical, so Sasuke's way of proposing was hardly any different.

It all started with a rolled up set of blueprints that Sasuke brought over to her office one morning. Naturally, he opened the door without knocking and entered. Sakura smiled at him and he silently unrolled the massive sheet on her desk to show her the plans for his new house. After the destruction of Konoha all those years ago, all Sasuke really had left was a giant plot of land. He sold a fair portion of it out of practicality, but even then he still had much for himself. He looked at her expectantly and Sakura felt mildly uncomfortable under his stare.

"What is this?" would make her sound stupid, and to say something of "Oh, how lovely," wouldn't be that much better, so she settled with a combination of sorts:

"Oh. Blueprints."

"Aa."

Sakura refrained from pouting in confusion. He was clearly fishing for _some_ sort of answer from her but Sakura had absolutely no idea what he was looking for. She looked at the aerial view of the first floor. There was a fairly large kitchen, a den, one larger room that she thought could function as a perfect library and/or office, a bathroom, and then a smaller laundry room. The second floor contained a master bedroom with its own en suite, three other bedrooms, another full bathroom, and a small room for storage.

She peeked up from behind her bangs and found Sasuke carefully examining her face. What on earth did he want from her?

She knew she had to be careful. When it came to Sasuke and anything Uchiha-related (e.g. what to do with the land that once belonged to them), he could be a _little_ bit sensitive. She'd learned that the hard way, but after two years of dating she figured she'd gotten _somewhat_ better at discerning his mood swings.

"I—" Sakura paused when she noticed him perk up at her voice. She frowned at him, not bothering to cover up her confusion. "Sasuke-kun, what is _wrong_ with you?"

He immediately went on the offence. "Nothing's wrong with me."

"Are you sure?" she replied sarcastically, "Because you sort of just barged into my office with your new house plans and _stared_ at me like I was supposed to say something significant."

The tips of his ears burned red. "I just…"

"You just?"

He scowled at her. "The contractor showed me these plans the other day. I wanted to show them to you."

Sakura fiddled with the pen in her hands uncomfortably. "Yes. Um, they're… very nice plans. Lots of bedrooms." She smiled at him. "Looks like you're going to have to hire a maid or something."

Sasuke nodded. "I don't think I'll be able to maintain the house on my own."

Against her better judgement, her eyes widened in surprise. Sasuke just admitted that he'd need help. What. Something was _definitely _going on, Sakura decided. She looked him up and down, trying to find any signs of sickness or depression or something that might be altering his overall _Sasuke _-ness.

"Right," she said eventually to cut the stifling silence. "Um." She looked back down at the blueprints, tracing the white lines with her finger. "That's a lot of bedrooms, Sasuke-kun…"

He moved around her desk to stand beside her, examining the blueprints at her side. He touched the page as well and his hand grazed hers. "I suppose I'll need to fill them up."

She leaned back and grinned up at him. "I'm sure Naruto would love to live with you."

He stared at her blankly and she figured she said the wrong thing.

She _knew_ she said the wrong thing when he calmly rolled up the blueprints and exited her office, only to ignore her for a good three days.

* * *

A few months later, Sakura was standing among the freshly erected walls of the new Uchiha home. While the outside made the building look complete, the inside was really just a number of pieces of wood making boundaries between rooms. The electricity and the plumbing were all taken care of, but the inner walls still needed insulation and dry wall still needed to be put up. The place was dusty, full of stacks of dry wall, and just a mess of grey and brown – save for the few colour swatches Sakura deigned to tape in particular rooms.

She looked at the two paint swatches Sasuke had handed her, trying to pretend she actually thought they were different colours… but they weren't. Really, they were two shades of blue that were probably one drop of white away from each other in hue.

Sakura shifted, uncomfortable under Sasuke's imploring stare.

For whatever reason, he'd really kept her close during the building process of his new house. While she initially suspected that this was because her superior strength came in handy when it came to lugging heavier materials around, she knew it was more than that. He'd been asking her about window panels and tiles for the kitchen and what colour certain rooms should be. It wasn't until he took her with him to the furniture store and had her help him pick a bedroom suite that she understood what he was trying to say.

He _obviously_ just wanted a woman's touch lest his humble abode turn into some dingy bachelor pad.

"I like this one," Sakura said, holding up _celeste velato _as opposed to _sky blue_. "What's it for again?"

Sasuke took the sample from her and held it against the wall. "This bedroom."

They were in one of the four bedrooms, a smaller one at the corner of the second floor. Sakura smiled, enjoying the sight of her oh so neurotic boyfriend carefully trying to decide what colour to paint the room he wouldn't even be inhabiting. She giggled and wrapped her arms around him.

"So what are you going to do with this room, Sasuke-kun?"

His hands covered hers. He glanced over his shoulder and smirked at the messy mop of pink hair. "Not sure yet."

"Is this going to be your Naruto room?"

"I will never have a Naruto room."

Sakura gaped. "What, you'd make him sleep in the living room instead?"

"That's not even funny."

Sakura laughed when he pulled away from her. He took one of her hands and pulled her through the pieces of wood into the next bedroom. Noting its larger size and the accompanying en suite, she realized it was the master bedroom. "You know," she drawled, walking the length of the room, "this room is just a little bit smaller than my current apartment."

He snorted. "I know."

"Oi!" She came beside him and poked his shoulder. "It's not okay when you _agree_, Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke shrugged. "It's true. Your apartment is barely livable."

"Not true!" she said. "And besides, I only really need it for _sleeping_."

"Which you don't even use it for," he pointed out. For the bulk of their relationship, he'd come to realize Sakura either slept in her office or at _his_ apartment. Apparently he had a "comfier bed." Sasuke swallowed thickly before mumbling, "You should just live with me."

She laughed. "What, so you won't have to hire a maid?"

"Well who would want a maid when they could just have a wife?"

From her place by the window, Sakura stiffened. She looked over at Sasuke and he shrugged at her expectant look. When she showed no signs of accepting his words, Sasuke rolled his eyes and approached her. He pointed to the green swatch she'd taped onto the frame of the room a few days after having decided that particular room would be a lovely shade of green.

"Do you honestly think I would want a green bedroom?" Sasuke asked bluntly. "Of course not, but it's your favourite colour." He then dragged her to the en suite, where a rather large tub had been brought up by him and Naruto some time ago. "And why the heck would I need this? I'm not the one who likes to waste time soaking in her own filth."

Sakura reddened, displeased by his special way of saying 'taking a bubble bath.' "EXCUSE YOU BUT—"

But he cut her off and tugged her along to the room she'd chosen _celeste velato_ for. "This one is for our son."

"We don't have a son."

"We will."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Awfully confident aren't you, Uchiha?"

"I've got good aim."

"You're ridiculous," Sakura said, slapping his arm playfully. But she decided to go along with his tour. "And what of the other rooms?"

He brought her to the second room. "This is for our other son."

Sakura couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Why are they both boys?"

"Calm down," he said, tugging her along to the last room. "This one can go to our daughters."

"Daughters? More than one?"

"Twins."

She laughed. "Now you're just being crazy."

Sasuke shrugged. "It's fine. We can just have them close together instead."

"I'm not having _four_ babies, you idiot—"

"This house is for you," Sasuke interrupted, smirking when her eyes widened. "I've included you in every decision because this house is for us. I want to marry you. I want to start a family with you." She showed no signs of recovering from her shock. "The office is for you and your ridiculous number of bricks that you like to refer to as books. And the kitchen even has that stupid pasta arm thing that you were so insistent on having on day in your future home and that I know you probably won't even use." He squeezed her hands. "I want us to have kids and grow old together in this house." He grew nervous when her earlier smiles vanished and she bowed her head. Did she think that he was just joking around about the bedrooms? "Sakura?" She sniffled and he panicked. "I—"

But she cut him off with a kiss. She pulled away to laugh and wipe at the unrelenting stream of tears dripping down her face.

"You're such a sap," she mumbled, swatting at his arm another time.

Sasuke smirked. "Don't get used to it. I'm just trying to lure you into my house."

"Oh?" Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck and his hands fell to her hips. She grinned. "Because you need a maid?"

He kissed her softly and murmured against her lips, "Because I want a wife."


End file.
